Personal Renaissance - Mural Arts Philadelphia Mural Arts Philadelphia

location JEVS Act 2, 1745 North 4th Street
Neighborhood
Fishtown / Kensington
completion date
September 01, 2010

Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.

About the Mural

Personal Renaissance brought service recipients from JEVS Human Services in North Philadelphia, an agency providing counseling and other addiction treatment services to those facing the challenges of addiction, together with community residents to create a mural inspired by the service recipients’ journey of recovery. Poetry workshops, led by spoken-word artist, Ursula Rucker helped inspire the mural’s symbolic imagery, which includes city buildings, machinery cogs, the cross section of a house and a vessel. The mural strives to inspire connections and understanding among and to those in the recovery community. With these goals in mind, the broader community was invited into the JEVS facility to learn about the valuable services it provides, and make a personal connection to those in the recovery community throughout the project.

Project Photography by Mustafah Abdulaziz

Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.
Photo by Mustafah Abdulaziz.

Personal Renaissance Portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz

During the Personal Renaissance project, photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz sought to create a record of both the strength and vulnerability present in the face of recovery. The photographs were taken in the light of home, amidst the familiar sights and sounds of the subjects own neighborhoods. Each portrait is the product of a dialogue between photographer and subject, in which the camera is witness to the moment they shared. Paired with each set of images is writing produced in workshops at the counseling center, reflecting milestones along the journey toward self-renewal.

The photos were exhibited in the Spring of 2010 at Dilworth Plaza in front of Philadelphia’s City Hall.

Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.
Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.
Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.
Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.
Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.
Personal Renaissance portraits by Mustafah Abdulaziz. Exhibition photography by Steve Weinik.