ScotiaBank CONTACT Festival Entry- by Sabrine Hakam. The first portrait series of Power in Portraits, titled Postcolonialism 101, is centred on issues of representation stemming from a history of colonialism and empire. The portraits explore the pervasive and ongoing impact of colonialism and invite us to reconsider our understanding of universals and dichotomies rooted in colonial history.

Sabrine S. Hakam is a Toronto-based artist and thinker whose style of symbolism-infused portraits foster discussions on issues of identity, representation, and power. Sabrine holds a PhD in Geography (Arts) from King’s College London. Before her PhD, Sabrine completed an MSc in Urbanisation and Development at the London School of Economics and an MPhil in Development Studies at the University of Oxford. Her work situates itself at the nexus of academia and art in order to transcend the limitations of academic jargon and methods, and to humanize the subjects of academic work.