Elia Alba

**Elia Alba** (yuuni 1962) nyɛla bɛ ni daa n dɔɣi so Brooklyn, New York tingbani. O nyɛla bɛ ni boli so ni *multidisciplinary artist* la n ʒe Queens, New York tingbani puuni n tumdi o tuma. Alba tum'shɛli din na n tumda ka bɛ boli li ni *The Supper Club* la nyɛla din n wuhiri bɛ ni boli shɛba ni ''contemporary'' ''artists'' nima la kom'shɛli bee nahingbaŋ shɛli din yɛn yihiri bɛ tuma nachinsi polo ni na ka lahi n zali bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *dinners* la ka di nyɛ luɣ'shɛli polo ban mali nuuni tun'baŋsim, ''curators'', ban n bɔhim ka mi yɛl'kura bee taarihi la n ti tabili bɛ ni boli shɛba ni *collectors* nima la zaa pahi n bɔ kahigibu n-ti yɛltɔɣa shɛŋa ŋa n dalim gbansabila mini paɣaba zaa ha nangbanyini. 

### O ni daa na n yiɣisiri na ni o shikuru chandi
Bɛ daa n dɔɣi o la Brooklyn tingbani puuni yuuni 1962 la ni amaa ka o ba ni o ma daa lee n yi Dominican Republic tingbani ni na. Yuuni 1980s la bahi puuni ka Alba daa n pili foto yaabu o zo waa wabu tuma dubela la puuni ka di daa ti n sɔŋ o  ka o daa zaŋ li n yi polo  New York City tingbani ni zaa n daa ti n yaari wa'shɛŋa n ti tabili  bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *opera companies* nima la gba fotonima. Yuu'bihi nyaaŋa ni ka Alba daa pili o nuuni tum baŋsim shɛli bɛ ni boli ni began sculpture la tuma tumbu. O daa nyɛla ŋun ʒe bɛ ni boli shɛli ni  *Bachelor of Arts degree* la n yi shikuru shɛli din yuli booni ni Hunter College la ni yuuni 1994 la puuni ka daa n naai bɛ ni boli shɛli ni Whitney Museum *Independent Study Program* la yuuni  2001 la ni. Lala yuuni maa puuni yaha,  Alba daa lahi nyɛla ŋun n yihi tuma na ka ŋa daa nyɛ ŋa n yɛri n wuhiri  ninsalisigu nyabili nvti tabili bɛ ni boli shɛli ni person-hood la gba (Shɛhiranima n-nyɛ  "Doll-head, hand held").
## Photography
Elia Alba tuma ŋɔ daa nyɛla o ni daa n zaŋ shɛli n wuhi salo pam ka bɛ ni boli shɛba ni *national* mini *international institutions* nima la mii daa nyɛ ban n niŋ vihigu zaŋ kpa ŋanima di bahi n bahindi bɛ ni boli laɣinsi shɛŋa ni Yerba Buena Center for the Arts; El Museo del Barrio; The RISD Museum; Valencia Institute of Modern Art, IVAM, din be Spain tingbani ni la; Stedelijk Museum, ka di be Amsterdam tingbani puuni; ARCO, Madrid; Jersey City Museum; Science Museum, ka di be London; n ti tabili ITAU Cultural Institute, São Paulo, din be Brazil tingbani ni,  n ti pahi Havana Biennial.

Yuuni 1999 la puuni, o daa yi pa pilila foto shɛŋa bɛ ni ŋmaai ka paɣi la n mali n pari binmaŋa bee chinchina zuɣu, ka daa lahi n maani ninsal'kɔbtuɣa n ti tabili nyepɔbirisi bee ninpɔbirisi shɛŋa din yi ti n pahi foto mini *video* yaabu nima puuni ka di ŋmeri ni niŋsim shɛli ŋan n yaɣi; ninsal tɛha zuɣu, *surrealism*, biɛhigu shee , nirisal ni nyɛ so (paɣa bee doo). Bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *grotesque* ka ŋa ni tooi n diɛm la daa nyɛla bɛ ni daa n tooi n zooi ni shɛli malibu ni ka ŋa wuhiri biɛhi'shɛŋa ni ninsalinima nahingbana, biɛhigu bee niŋsim shɛŋa din ku tooi n yi polo ni.

Alba daa yi pa n pilila bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *portraiture* la niŋbu yuuni 2012 la puuni. *Art* baŋdi kuɣinli,  Maurice Berger's daa tuɣila bɛ ni boli shɛli ni  *New York Times* la ni kompitisa ni fotonima ŋa mali bee n wuhiri kompitisa ŋanima puuni la ni kpini taba shɛm, o da lahi n buɣisiya n yɛli ni Alba ni daa n labi n nya gbansabila baansi ka bɛ nyɛ siliminsi ni boli ni boli shɛba ni *A-list celebrities* nima la zuɣu,  ni di yi niŋ ka o n tabi n sɔŋ ba ka bɛ yuya n du bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *mainstream art world* la puuni ni di yɛn nyɛla din bi niŋdi zaɣa ni bɛ kpaŋmaŋa. O daa zaŋ Alba zinliŋkom zaŋ kpa di polo n sɔŋ ka di nyɛ,"Lala fotonima ŋɔ ni ʒeri lahabali shɛli ŋa puuni gari ŋa ni ʒeya n-ti binshɛli bee daadam so maa," di lahi nyɛla "din ʒeri haŋkali parisi bee haŋkali zilinma zaŋ kpa binshɛli bɛ ni me li n dalim maa."

Lala fotonima maa puuni, Alba daa pilimi n piiri ŋanima n pɔri n doli nahingbana yinsi shɛŋa di be ŋanima ni ŋan shɛŋa nyɛ bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *backdrops*, *props*, n ti pahi *costumes* la puuni ka di nyɛ din yɛn n wuhiri binshɛŋa ban be fotonima maa ni nima ni gbubi maa anfaani ni nyɛ shɛŋa. Ŋanima ŋɔ zaa nyɛla din bi yɛn che ka lala nuuni tun'baŋsima nima maa kpaŋmaŋa zaŋ kpa bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *cultural landscape* la ni bi yina n ne n do polo ni. Jane Ursula Harris ni daa n niŋdi Alba vihigu zaŋ chaŋ o tuma maa polo, o daa yɛli n wuhi daliri shɛli zuɣu din che ka bɛ deei bi n zooi ka bɛ meri bini ni nyɛ shɛli bee ka bɛ wuhiri bɛ tuma shee ni be shɛm naɣila din yɛn sɔŋ ba ka bɛ ti lahabali. Din yɛn che ka ban nyɛ bɛ ni boli shɛba ni *artists* nima maa lebi bɛ ni boli shɛba ni *iconic archetypes* nima ban yɛn zaya n-ti bɛ maŋa ni bɛ ni tumdi tun'shɛŋa zaa ha nangbanyini la ni din bi yɛn n wuhiri bɛ yino yino ni nyɛ so bee shɛli amaa ka lee n kpa la laɣingu duu din yɛn sɔŋ ba ka bɛ pɔhima yoori n tiri taba bɛ tuuni kam polo.

Critic Naomi Lev daa sabimi n wuhiri ni Alba fotonima nyɛla din mali bɛ ni boli shɛli ni *theatrical dimension* la n pahiri baŋsim bee haŋkali parisi zuɣu din jɛndi ninsalitali bee ninsalisigu, ka di niŋdi  ka bini ni nyɛ shɛli bi ne ka lee che ka di leeri binshɛli din viɛla ka lahi n sarigiri fini. Seph Rodney daa yina mi ni haŋkali parisi shɛŋa o ni daa yɛn zaŋ n pɔ lala fotonima pihiyɔbu  maa zaa kamani ŋanima ni daa n be bɛ ni noli shɛli ni 8th Floor Gallery, New York City la ni shɛm (silimin gɔli December, yuuni  2017 puuni la) ka di daa nyɛ din wuhiri "Niri ni paɣiri Alba kpaŋmaŋa zaŋ chaŋ o ni daa n zaŋ suɣulo n gbubi ŋanima n kpa buɣim bee laati ka tɔm n lebigiri ŋanima yaɣili yaɣili din yɛn n che ka o baŋ laati shɛli din n kpɛri ŋanima ni ka ŋanima niŋdi dawama."

## Selected exhibitions
Elia Alba's nucheeni tuma baŋsim nyɛla din du tiŋduya:
*Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, New York City, (2017)
* SVA Chelsea Gallery, New York City (2016) 
*El Museo del Barrio, New York City (2015)
* Visual Art Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX (2014)
*Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (2013)
*The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC (2013)
* Galleria Overfoto, Naples, IT (2010)
* 10th Havana Biannial, Havana, CU (2009)
* Black & White Gallery, New York City, NY (2009)
*Jersey City Museum, Downtown Jersey City, NJ (2003)
* Bernice Steinbaum Gallery, Miami, FL (2003)
*Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant (2002)
* Museo de Arte Moderno, Dominican Republic (2002)
*Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (1999)
## Awards and residencies
* Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC) Residency (2016) 
* Flying Horse Editions (2011)
* New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant – Photography (2008)
*Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant (2002)
*New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship Grant – Crafts (2001)
*Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters and Sculptors Grant (2002)
*Whitney Museum Van Lier Foundation Fellowship Grant (2001)
*Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY (1989–1999).

## Kundivihira

## External links

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