I Belong to a Nation, and Media Phenomenon

 

In this cycle of paintings, Sead paints different moments from everyday life as a means of unveiling his cultural identity throught the medium of painting. Throught the years the artist has created a cycle of paintings that are related to social, cultural, historical, economic, enviromental and political issues.

“Media phenomenon” was conceived as the result of Kazanxhiu’s fight to dismantle stereotypes about Romani children. While reading the news about the case of “Little Maria” in Greece, which swept across the media, the artist came across a Swiss Magazine that defended the use of a picture of a Roma child waving a toy gun. In this project, Kazanxhiu sought to change the way these children were presented, and challenging viewers to examine their own preconceptions.  The role of media is very important in shaping people’s perceptions about a particular nation or group of people, and in this capacity the media can also shatter fragile relationships by perpetuating harmful stereotypes and breaking relationships between cultural and ethnic groups within society.