The Gesture of A Story, Union College, New Jersey, 2025
Exhibition Theme :
We become through stories — our own, and those shared by others. Storytelling helps us shape our realities, allowing us to understand, construct, and reimagine the worlds we inhabit. Writing, building, and creating across different media give form to the narratives that dwell within us.
Presented by the Humanities Division at UCNJ, this exhibition celebrates the creativity of our faculty and staff. Featured artists include: Jane Jiang, Abhishek Tuiwala, Anthony Nicoli, Uisuk Byeon, Karen Zielony, Mina Markovic, Margaret Cameron, Amanda E. Anido, and Natasha Jawahir.
This exhibition explores the connections woven between individual narratives, inspired in part by author Arundhati Roy’s insight that “Fiction dances out of me.” In The God of Small Things, Roy reflects that writers do not simply choose stories; rather, stories choose them. They “insist on being told” says Roy, whether through the fluid movement of fiction or the wrenching truth of nonfiction.
Here, stories emerge through gestures — gestures that trace the footprints of realities once lived or imagined. Each work embodies a story shaped by both the artist’s inner landscape and the influence of the world around them. In telling these stories, we give them voice, movement, and continuity.
Participating Artists :
Jane Jiang, Abhishek Tuiwala, Anthony Nicoli, Uisuk Byeon, Karen Zielony, Mina Markovic, Margaret Cameron, Amanda E. Anido, and Natasha Jawahir
