"The Red Chador: Close Encounters"
"The Red Chador: Close Encounters"
Feb 1, 2025 to Mar 20, 2025
Location: Kellogg University Art GalleryPress the tab key to view the content. Use the down arrow key to move to the next tab and up arrow key to move to the previous.
Responding to a global rise of Islamophobia, misogyny, and racism, The Red Chador continues Anida Yoeu Ali’s thematic interest in using religious aesthetics and public encounters to challenge perceptions and fears of otherness. While wearing her signature sparkling red chador, a large cloth worn as a head covering, veil, and shawl worn by some Muslim women, Ali transforms into her alter ego, engaging an unsuspecting public through small interactions that evolve alongside society’s changing political and cultural landscapes. More than simply an item of clothing, the work is an allegory for the hypervisibility of Muslim women and a means to activate critical conversations on identity. Following performances in France, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Australia, and several US cities, the original performance garment mysteriously disappeared in 2017 while the artist was in transit from Tel Aviv. Two years later, the work was “rebirthed” alongside six additional sequined chadors in various colors of the rainbow. In presenting all seven chadors at the same time, Ali creates a space for Muslim women to collectively gather and exist for all to see. The Red Chador has been performed in 16 cities across seven countries since 2015, notably Palais de Tokyo (2015), the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center (2016), and Shangri La Museum of Islamic Art, Culture and Design (2019), with this exhibit being her Southern California debut.
On November 9, 2016, the day after Donald Trump was elected the 45th American president, Ali defiantly took to the streets of Seattle as The Red Chador to challenge Trump's impending 'Muslim Ban.' On January 21, 2025*, the day after Donald Trump's second presidential inaugeration, Ali is scheduled to present her solo exhibition, The Red Chador: Close Encounters, to once again offer artistic resilience and resistance in the face of rising Islamophobic hostilities and violence. Through a collection of photographs, videos, and installations, The Red Chador series represents a refusal of oppression through multiplicity.
*Due to the disruptions and devastation to the Los Angeles community caused by the SoCal wildfires and record-breaking wind events, the show's opening date is moved to February 1, 2025.
Saturday, February 1st ~ March 20th, 2025
The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition
The Red Chador: Close Encounters will be on display at the Kellogg University Art Gallery (Building 35A) beginning Saturday, February 1st!
Thursday, February 20, 2025 (4-7PM)
The Red Chador: Close Encounters | Artist Reception
Join us at the Kellogg University Art Gallery (Building 35A) on Thursday, February 20, 2025, from 4–7 PM for the artist reception of The Red Chador: Close Encounters.
Wednesday, March 19, 2025 (12-2PM)
The Red Chador: Close Encounters | Artist Keynote Talk
Performance Artist Anida Yoeu Ali will give an artist keynote talk on her latest works at Ursa Major in the Bronco Student Center (Building 35) on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, from 12–2 PM.
Thursday, March 20th, 2025 (12-3PM)
The Red Chador: Close Encounters | "Rainbow Brigade" Durational Performance
The Red Chador and the Rainbow Brigade will make their Southern California debut at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday, March 20, 2025, from 12–3 PM!
Anida Yoeu Ali (b. 1974, Battambang, Cambodia) is an interdisciplinary artist whose works span performance, installation, new media, public encounters, and political agitation. Born in Cambodia and raised in Chicago, she is a first-generation American of mixed Malay, Cham, Khmer, and Thai ancestries. Her art investigates the artistic, spiritual, and political collisions of her hybrid, transnational identity, with a belief that in-betweenness is a powerful space for creation and provocation. Through her practice, Ali explores themes of displacement, identity, and resilience, often utilizing humor, absurdity, and larger-than-life personas to liberate herself from oppressive representations.
Ali’s works have been globally exhibited at prestigious venues including Haus der Kunst, Palais de Tokyo, the Smithsonian, Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Musée d'art Contemporain Lyon, Jogja National Museum, Malay Heritage Centre, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum. Her series The Buddhist Bug—an internationally recognized, multidisciplinary work—investigates displacement and identity through performance and humor, earning her the 2014–2015 Sovereign Asian Art Prize and the 2024 Arts Innovator Award. She has also been a recipient of numerous grants and fellowships from organizations such as the Rockefeller Foundation, Ford Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and Art Matters Foundation.
Ali co-founded Studio Revolt, an independent artist-run media lab based in Tacoma, WA, whose works have won awards at film festivals, agitated the White House, and redefined artistic creation beyond the constraints of traditional studios. Her pioneering work as a spoken word poet with the critically acclaimed group I Was Born With Two Tongues (1998–2003) is archived with the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program.
Ali’s academic background includes an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2010) and a BFA from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (1998). She currently serves as a Senior Artist-in-Residence at the University of Washington Bothell, where she teaches interdisciplinary arts, global studies, and performance. A recipient of the 2020 Art Matters Fellowship, Ali continues to create and exhibit art transnationally, splitting her time between the Asia-Pacific region and the United States.
Selected Artworks
Selected Artworks
"Lava Rising, The Red Chador: Genesis I"
Anida Yoeu Ali
"Interstellar, The Red Chador: Genesis I"
"Rainbow Beach, The Red Chador: Genesis I"
"The Red Chador: The Day After"
Anida Yoeu Ali
"In Memoriam (The Disappearance)"
Anida Yoeu Ali
"The Red Chador: Once Upon A Time in Hong Kong"
Anida Yoeu Ali
"Death"
"Birth"
"In Memoriam"
"The Last Baguette"
"The Red Chador: Global Agitator"
"The Red Chador: Genesis I"
"The Red Chador: Stranded"
Anida Yoeu Ali
"The Red Chador: Threshold"
Anida Yoeu Ali
Installation View, Corridor, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Corridor, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Corridor, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, East Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, West Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, West Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, West Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, West Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, West Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Installation View, Back Gallery, The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1st, 2025 to March 20, 2025
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring faculty member Sarah Meyer and visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring Anida Youe Ali being interviewed by a student, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Talk, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with sponsoring department members, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Talk, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with sponsoring department members, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring a student with faculty member Sarah Meyer, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with a visitor, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Talk, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with sponsoring department members and visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with faculty, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Talk, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring students and visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring a visitor, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Talk, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with a visitor, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025.
Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025. Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring visitors and students, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025.
Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
Reception Photo, featuring artist Anida Yoeu Ali with the Kellogg staff, February 20, 2025, 4-7pm. The Red Chador: Close Encounters Exhibition, February 1, 2025 to March 20, 2025.
Kellogg Univ Art Gallery, Cal Poly Pomona.
For information regarding the closing performance, click here!
Images from the live performance will be uploaded at a later date.
