Photographer Mike Mellia speaking to the crow at Tapir Editions Gallery of TriBeCa.
When you see models on the cover of a magazine, there are many things to absorb.
Maybe it’s simply how beautiful they look. Or perhaps it’s how gorgeous their clothes are; or how thin and tall they might be. But in some cases, the real story is ‘Where she comes from.’
Photographer Mike Mellia provided the provocative answer with his most recent photo exhibition, “Our Side Of The Story.” And the story behind the image was not an easy one to take.
Some of the women of Nilotic at the event.
Last Thursday evening, the Tapir Editions Gallery of TriBeCa hosted Mellia’s moving exhibition. “Our Side Of The Story” featured 14 portraits of supermodels, actors and students with something in common that is much more important than their individual success. They all are South Sudanese refugees who have escaped from internal struggles of their country, and they all are now living in America where they have come together to “give voice to the voiceless.”
This one-night event in New York City was put together by “We Are Nilotic,” an initiative of South Sudanese models and women who are using their collective voice and influence to promote peace among the 64 tribes of South Sudan. The collective was founded by activist, refugee and model, Nykhor Paul, whose work can be seen in Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, DVF campaigns.
Paul was also one of the women shot by Mellia and was a prominent figure at the event and was joined by other Sudanese refugees refugee from all over the United States and Canada. Some of them had been brought together for the first time.
“Some of us just met a few minutes ago but it’s like we already know each other,” said one of the refugees in attendance. “We share the most important thing that has happened to each one of us.” Each stood atop a chair, one-by-one, to share their difficult journey. As a result, few people in the room could help shedding tears.
“It’s so emotional to remember all this. We all have lost our childhood, brothers, sisters, parents…” said another. But each shared not only their stories of the past, they also made declarations of their intentions for the future.
“Humanity needs to comeback. We need you to spread the world. And nothing is gonna stop us.”
Model, activist and refugee, Nyamuoch Girwath’s family fled on foot from South Sudan to Ethopia in the early 1980s, where she was born in a refugee camp. Nyamuoch says, “I’m touched that in South Sudan, even without opportunity, people feel rich inside themselves just because they have their family, and are grateful and proud for all their gifts.”
The story of South Sudan has been a troubled one, rife with ethnic and economic conflicts even before South Sudan seceded from Republic of Sudan in 2011. The BBC has reported that by the end of March, 2014, more than 1 million people will have been forced from their homes by the ongoing conflict which broke out between government and opposition forces last December.
The Tapir Editions Gallery was completely full of people compelled by the plight of the people of South Sudan.
When reality gets this tough, humanity reminds us that at the end of the day “we are all one,” as one of the women from Nilotic said. And while “The feeling of these beautiful pictures it isn’t beauty, its pain,” there’s nothing more beautiful than a strong woman.
To see all the portraits of “Our Side of The Story” by Mike Mellia, click here.
For more information about the organization you can visit Nilotic.
-Xavi Ocaña
Photographs by Fayçal Aallouch
