SEE: Asian NYers Celebrated In Art Takeover Of Brooklyn Station

BROOKLYN, NY — Colorful portraits of Asian and Pacific Islander New Yorkers have taken over the Atlantic Avenue subway station in Brooklyn as part of a new campaign by the city's Commission on Human Rights.

The public art campaign, titled “I Still Believe in Our City,” kicked off on Tuesday and will be on display for a month at the transit hub.

Put together by artist Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, it celebrates the resilience of Asian, Pacific Islander and Black New Yorkers in the face of racial injustice, particularly coronavirus-related discrimination and bias, according to the commission.

"...The pandemic opened up an ugly side of the city. So many of my friends and people who look like me have been harassed, told to 'go back,' had our basic humanity denied," Phingbodhipakkiya said. "My goal with this series was to turn these hurts into something beautiful and powerful."

There have been more than 566 reports of discrimination, harassment and bias related to COVID-19 since February, 184 of which were anti-Asian, according to the human rights commission. That compares to only 26 reports of anti-Asian discrimination in the same period the year before.

Those and other statistics are included in the art exhibit, which take words and phrases "uttered in hate" to create messages of empowerment to accompany the portraits.

"Phingbodhipakkiya shows that despite what [Asian and Pacific Islander] New Yorkers have faced, they remain undeterred and steadfast members of the New York community," the commission said. "...More than an anti-hate campaign, the artist depicts her subjects as filled with courage, conviction and enduring community spirit."

Phingbodhipakkiya said she chose bold colors and a dynamic composition for the artwork to highlight the complexity of New York City. The flowers that surround the portraits also each have a deeper symbolism in Chinese culture, including Chrysanthemum for resilience, Peony for friendship and solidarity, and Hawthorn berry for longevity and protection.”

The exhibit is part of the Commission’s two 2020-2021 Public Artists in Residence (PAIR).

Atlantic Avenue terminal was chosen because of its central location, its connection to historically Black and API neighborhoods and because it was the site of some of the reported anti-Asian harassment. It also is close to the Barclays Center, which became a meeting place for Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the commission said.

Check out photos of the exhibit here, Courtesy of Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya: