Artists in the Euphrat Museum of Art’s exhibit “A Sense of Belonging” explore what makes people feel connected to themselves and their community.
The exhibit, which runs Jan.15-March 14 at the De Anza College museum, is presented in conjunction with Silicon Valley Reads and its 2026 theme, “Bridges to Belonging.”
Self, family and neighborhood portraits reflect South Bay Area faces and stories.
Marie Cameron’s “People in My Neighborhood” series grew from her desire to meet and celebrate essential workers and creatives in her hometown of Los Gatos. The portraits include her neighbor’s caregiver, grocery store and café workers, an artist, an author and a small business owner.
Photojournalist Josie Lepe set out to capture the diversity of often overlooked families in her San Jose community. Her “La Cena/The Supper” series focuses on the intimate connections within these families at the dinner table. “These images are a collaboration between me and contemporary ‘Mexica’ and ‘Latines’ families attempting to live the American dream,” Lepe says.
Photographer Susan Harding documents “A Day in the Life” of families, capturing candid moments of connection. A grandmother and granddaughter cook side by side, stirring pots in unison; a couple’s daily yoga practice includes their dog mirroring their pose. She aims to “find the extraordinary in the ordinary.”
Siana Smith’s portraits reflect our shared humanity and interconnections. She paints her elderly parents, herself and family friends engaged in daily life: a home haircut, assisting a disabled partner at lunchtime, moments of introspection. The artist looks for the beauty in everyday moments.
Mellon Scholar museum intern Fatima Artan photographed her Campbell family, documenting how they connect with themselves and each other through their art practices. Her 14-year-old sister Amira says her elaborate handmade bracelets and jewelry serve as a great conversation starter and help her socialize with her peers and make friends.
Mark Engel’s paintings explore themes of connection and transformation, often merging figures and landscapes. They speak to the tension between belonging to the natural world and feeling separate from it. They also allude to the challenges of staying connected when change is a constant.
Saikat Choudhury’s detailed graphite drawings honor connections between youth and elders, bridge cultural traditions, and acknowledge the disparity in belonging as well. As a member of the Fine Art League of Cupertino, Choudhury volunteers his time and creativity to help people connect and grow through art.
Gustavo Martinez is passionate about connecting with communities through ceramics and indigenous traditions. For him, an essential part of feeling a sense of belonging is reconnecting with his cultural heritage, ancient practices and ancestral energy. The artist’s ceramic sculptures preserve and present ancient wisdom through a contemporary lens.
Gurmeet Lamba balances ceramics art, advising executives in the fields of Robotics and AI and serving the community as a Cupertino fine arts commissioner. His ceramic table settings feature intricate patterns and textures that feel both ancient and modern. They are dishes to be used to connect over food and evoke memories and traditions.
“Each piece has an earthy, organic presence—one that complements and connects with food that has grown from the same soil,” Lamba says. “When families gather and share meals in these dishes, the experience comes full circle, connecting us to the earth. It just feels right.”
As an artist in residence at the Othering and Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley, Christine Wong Yap oversaw a project that aimed to reveal the pivotal places, activities, communities and experiences that shape Bay Area residents’ connectedness to a neighborhood and region.
The exhibit includes excerpts from her comic zine “Alive and Present: Cultural Belonging in S.F. Chinatown and Manilatown” and other books. A silkscreened bandana features this quote from a participant: “Belonging made me stronger. I will fight to belong, for my people all to belong.”
The Euphrat will be open Jan. 15, 6-7 p.m., before the Silicon Valley Reads Kickoff event in the adjacent theater and afterward from 8:30-9 p.m. for book signings with the featured authors.
A closing artist’s reception for “A Sense of Belonging” is set for Saturday, March 14, noon-2 p.m., and will feature refreshments and live music. For additional events and information, visit deanza.edu/euphrat/current.
Diana Argabrite is the director of arts and schools at Euphrat Museum of Art at De Anza College in Cupertino.
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