Our shared humanity

The Presence of Absence | Inbal Abergil

The Presence of Absence is a long-term body of work that includes two photographic projects and a film. This work focuses on grief, trauma, healing, and human cost of conflict. As a veteran, a mother, an immigrant, and a daughter of North African parents, Abergil explores how the portrayal of grieving women from different cultures powerfully motivates changes in the way we remember.

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The Silhouette Project: Newcomers | Dona Laurita

Newcomers is the fourth iteration of The Silhouette Project, a recurring photographic series that illuminates the voices of adolescent and young adult refugees who have fled their homelands because of war, poverty, or out of fear for their physical safety. Newcomers have lost their sense of time and place, missing out on months or years of education, arts, sports, friendships, and many more things that make up a normal life. 

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About the Artists

Inbal Abergil (New York City) | inbalabergil.com

Inbal Abergil is a documentary photographer and an educator. Her research focuses on the aftermath of war and the human cost of conflict, using still and moving images along with testimony to examine loss, grief, and healing. She was chosen as an alternate for the Smithsonian Artist Fellowship (2020). She is the recipient of the Pollock-Krasner Grant (2018), a finalist for the Jerome Hill Artist Fellowship (2019), and the 2018 Documentary Essay Prize in Photography, CDS at Duke University.

Abergil received her MFA in Visual Arts from Columbia University, and in addition to her studio practice, Abergil is an Associate Professor of Photography at Pace University in New York City. Her work has been exhibited internationally in museum and gallery exhibitions including Baxter St at the Camera Club of New York, Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, NYC, Tova Osman Gallery, Tel-Aviv, and Kibbutz Art Gallery, Tel-Aviv. Abergil’s work is in the permanent collections of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, among many other prominent institutions. Her photographs have appeared in The Los Angeles Times, Lens Culture, Musée Magazine, Photograph Magazine, PDN, BuzzFeed, and Hyperallergic. Her first monograph, N.O.K-Next of Kin, came out with Daylight Publishing in 2017.

Dona Laurita (Colorado) | donalaurita.com

Dona Laurita, a professional photographer for over 30 years, specializes in documentary work, deeply meaningful fine art projects, and teaching residencies. Her current focus is on “The Silhouette Project,” which shares the stories of underserved and vulnerable young refugee populations. Laurita’s unique use of the backlit technique not only captures the essence of the subject but also provides a safe and anonymous space for these Newcomers to express themselves. Her extensive portfolio includes having been the exclusive photographer during a Colorado visit by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and collaborating with Boulder Sister Cities on projects involving Lhasa, Tibet, and Jalapa, Nicaragua. She has exhibited across Colorado and has been the recipient of a National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) grant among other smaller awards. She extends her impact through fine-art documentary work, serving as an artist-in-residence in schools, Creative Aging programs, Children’s Hospital, the District Attorney’s Office Restitution Program, and other settings where her work can be most beneficial.

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