Art, Expression, Identities

Who are displaced people, and how do they make meaning of their lives? All the identity categories used to group people, including race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, class, and religion, among others, are relevant to displaced people because anyone can become displaced. Yet, these same categories influence the risk of any person becoming displaced by war, violence, persecution, and environmental disaster. These categories also influence the likelihood that a displaced person will receive support and asylum. CFD’s work in this area focuses on art by and about displaced people, the expressive modes developed in displacement, the translation and circulation of narratives of displacement, and the identities and communities built by displaced people. 

Some of our current projects in this research area are listed below.