Asif's current exhibition is at the Campbell House Museum in Toronto, ON.

Muslims?!, May 1st to June 3rd, 2012
Campbell House Museum
160 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON
416 597 0227
www.campbellhousemuseum.com
Opening Reception Thursday May 3rd, 5pm to 9pm

ARTISTS' STATEMENT

In spite of differences that exist between people and cultures, I believe we share the same emotions and are connected by an underlying humanity. Photography allows me to communicate the feeling and mood of a moment. The power of an image bridges time and distance, and can challenge the viewer’s preconceptions, allowing them to empathize with the subject. I feel that by communicating the essence of human experience and emotion, we can learn how much all people have in common and can begin to break down barriers of misunderstanding and ignorance. As a second-generation Canadian Muslim, this theme is at the core of my identity. In a society dominated by 24/7 cable television, where polarizing and sometimes extreme opinions and images get the headlines, I feel that my work brings much-needed balance to the subject of Canadian Muslim identity. The photographs in my latest exhibition are of Canadian Muslims engaged in both the ordinary and extraordinary activities that are part of their daily lives. I show that any label can only at best define a small part of a person’s identity, and seek to break down stereotypes about what it means to be a Canadian Muslim.

Asif gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the ARTicipate Endowment Fund and Ontario Arts Council.

Awards

2012 Ontario Arts Council Exhibition (AOE) Support Grant
2011 Alliance Francaise "Planet Women" Photography Contest
Canadian Winner and Representative to Global Competition
2011 Arts Ottawa East (AOE) ARTicipate Endowment Fund Project Grant

Exhibitions

Muslims?!, May 1st to June 3rd, 2012
Campbell House Museum
160 Queen Street West
Toronto, ON

We Are Them, March-April 2012
Gallery of the Alliance Francaise
Ottawa, ON

Planet Women Group Exhibition, February 2012
Gallery of the Alliance Francaise
Ottawa, ON

Selections 2011 Group Show, October 2011
Trinity Art Gallery
Shenkman Arts Centre
Ottawa, ON

Trinity Art Gallery, July 2011
Shenkman Arts Centre
Ottawa, ON

Charter of Compassion Launch, November 2009
Depanneur Sylvestre
Gatineau, QC

The New Art Festival, June 2009
Central Park
Ottawa, ON

Art in The Park, June 2008
Central Park in the Glebe
Ottawa, ON

Contact 2008
Ben Navaee Gallery, May 2008
Toronto, ON

Visual Arts Center, Orleans (VACO), May 2007
Ottawa, ON

The Black Tomato, May-June 2004
Ottawa, ON

Tea House Gallery (NY Open Center), January-March 2002
SOHO, New York, NY

Cornelia Street Café, August 2001
Greenwich Village, New York, NY

Education

School of the Photographic Arts – Ottawa (SPAO), 2007
School of Visual Arts, New York, 2000
School of Art, Ottawa, 1997
Algonquin College, Ottawa, 1995,1996

Collections

Works are held in private collections in North America and Europe