Curated by award-winning photographer Joshua Sariñana, Through These Realities is a powerful photography and poetry exhibition that challenges the dominant narratives perpetuated by mass media. This collaborative project brings together the voices and visions of six photographers of color—Adam Cordelle, Andrew Harris, Kenia Arbaiza, Wandy Pascoal, Xudong Liu, and Paul Sayed—paired with the evocative words of six poets of color—Kesper Wang, Isabella De Palo Garcia Perez, Durane West, Alysia Williams, Mayank Chugh, and Cesar Sanchez Beras.

Joshua Sariñana, PhD ’11, combines his neuroscience background with art and storytelling to foster public engagement with science and elevate underrepresented voices. As highlighted in his MIT News alumni profile, Sariñana’s work focuses on creating connections between science and the public through interdisciplinary projects.

Connecting with Joshua Sariñana, we discussed the ways he has joined the photographic arts with the field of science since his 2016 Griffin Exhibition, Prosopagnosia, the right vs. left brain myth regarding creativity, and the importance of programming to purposefully create diversity and inclusivity when working toward racial and social justice.

From December 6, 2021, to February 28, 2022, The Poetry of Science was exhibited at MIT’s Rotch Gallery, presenting a dynamic blend of poetry and photography that highlights the experiences and contributions of scientists of color. Directed by Joshua Sariñana, PhD, this multimedia project merges art and science to challenge traditional narratives and foster positive associations between communities of color and the sciences. Each work pairs portraits of scientists, visually embedded into natural landscapes, with poetry that explores their research, motivations, and lives.

Joshua Sariñana, PhD ’11, merges his expertise in neuroscience, photography, and storytelling in The Poetry of Science, a public art installation advocating for racial and social justice. Supported by a Cambridge Arts Council Art for Racial Justice Grant, this multimedia project pairs scientists of color with poets of color to create collaborative works that celebrate their contributions and amplify their voices. Through portraits by Vanessa Leroy and poetry inspired by the scientists’ work, the project fosters a deeper understanding of science and promotes positive associations with communities of color.

The Poetry of Science, in collaboration with The Peoples' heART, is a project that utilizes art to address health equity and representation in medical institutions like the Massachusetts General Hospital.

In response to systemic racism and the lack of representation of people of color (POC) in media and art, Joshua Sariñana, PhD, co-created The Poetry of Science with poet and editor Linsey Jayne. This multidisciplinary project combines poetry and photography to amplify the voices and experiences of POC, countering negative stereotypes with positive representations. Read the Article»

I caught up with the multi-faceted Joshua Sariñana to talk about his new project with the Somerville Arts Council, titled Through These Realities, that will seek six local poets and photographers of color, who will create a series of images, inspired by prompt-guided poetry from poets.

Joshua Sariñana, PhD, and Linsey Jayne, debuted their project, The Poetry of Science, at Lit Crawl Boston 2021. This initiative pairs local poets of color with scientists of color to address racial disparities in both fields while showcasing the profound connections between the sciences and the humanities. Poets collaborated with scientists in fields like quantum mechanics, radiology, and social robotics to craft original poetry inspired by their research, motivations, and personal stories. At the event, each poet presented one poem as a demonstration of their partnership and the creative synergies between poetry and science. Read the Interview >