Studio PAUSE Community Gallery Exhibit

Through the Words of Photographers

Tielieu Guo & Alex Sakes

June - August 2025

In this exhibit Guo and Alex bring words to the fore, highlighting the complexities of how they think and feel as they tell stories of our state, our cities, and our streets.

The story of this exhibit begins in 2022, when PAUSEr Kara Billings texted me to go to the dumpling restaurant near my house in Arlington, see the photos on the walls, and read the wall text. The powerful photos were taken by one of China’s top photojournalists, Tieliu Guo. The text ended with, “And now I am making dumplings for you.” We communicated through an app, him speaking in Chinese and me in English. I told him he could have a show at my studio anytime he wanted. We met again in January 2024. He had a new idea. He showed me photos of Virginia—mostly landscapes. “Many people live in Virginia, but the love I have for this place is not like that of any other person,” the app translated. He told me that here, he sees “a beautiful social and natural environment coming together,” which was a new normal for him.

I first “met” photographer Alex Sakes, a Columbia Pike resident, through Facebook. I became one of his thousands of friends, and followed his work. We met again in 2023 at the launch of my book, Columbia Pike Recipes for Recovery. When he dropped in at this Studio last spring I was showing a Palestinian woman who lived down the street one of our exhibits. She shared how she took her elderly wheelchair-bound mother to protests in D.C. I watched how Alex shared his experiences as a young Jewish American man who photographed protests. Sharing his youthful passion for justice, he said, “Since high school I have been photographing social upheaval in the streets documenting what people know is worth fighting for.” I asked him if he would like to show his photos at the Studio and he agreed.

Many photographers prefer to let their photos speak for themselves, and viewers will see what they see in these images based on their own experiences and aesthetics. But as the Studio is also a space for stories, I am excited to put Alex’s work next to Guo’s. To me these men—from two ends of the earth, and walking two different journeys—tell the story of a love for the life we deeply want to live.

~ Sushmita Mazumdar, curator, Studio PAUSE

June 2025: Together PAUSE with Arlington Presbyterian Church

Arlington Presbyterian Church (APC), located a few blocks East of the Studio’s Columbia Pike location, has been excited by our work as it connects with elements of their own core values which include service to their community, and residents of Gilliam Place, a True Ground affordable housing building, and the Columbia Pike neighborhoods. For their annual retreat, they chose to PAUSE! There was a breakfast, then Sushmita gave them a sneak peek and tour of this exhibit, and then showed them how a sheet of paper becomes a 3D, house-shaped, book. Everyone got to respond and reflect in their books and then share them with others. A yummy lunch from Café Sazon next door was served. In the end, Guo stopped by so they all got to meet one of the photographers featured! We invited people to leave their books behind so we could display them and use them as samples for others to create their own.

Check out the wonderful photos by Kaelyne Yumul Wietelman below. She is featured in the video (right) as well!

The photos in the second section are by Sush.

Guo’s son visits with friends

The same day, Guo told me his son, Lincoln, would be stopping by with some friends. When they arrived I gave them the same tour I had given the APC group. Then we did a Writing PAUSE. I gave them our Studio clipboards (made from the backs of drawing books) and had them write their reflections for 10 mins. Then they shared it and Lincoln translated for his dad. Below are some photos and some text from the writings. The first three photos are by Guo. The rest are by me.

~ Sushmita Mazumdar 

Lincoln:

“It is very refreshing seeing my father’s work from a different perspective.”

“I like the exhibit a lot. I found quite a few of these photographs relatable because I have been in these positions.

I really relate to the feeling of taking photos when feeling comfortable. I also relate a lot to the photo of the restaurant. My family have been working in the business for 20+ years. I understand the work ethic Chinese people have.”

— Friend, (of Chinese heritage)

“I thought the exhibit was particularly interesting, especially as someone with less familiarity with Chinese art.

I like the connections with other pieces and styles of art. Also, as somebody who is not from Virginia these scenes feel familiar, and some are places I have been. I enjoyed the depictions of everybody, people within the photos especially.”

— Friend

“I thought the exhibit was a fascinating look on what Virginia looks like through the eyes of people who didn’t start life with a strong cultural connection to it.

It was very interesting to see how Chinese concepts and art can still be expressed through the landscape and people in Virginia. The fact that a picture of a fisherman in Virginia mirrors traditional Chinese art shows how people’s native and adopted culture can come together to create new expression and place Virginia in the context of the wider world.”

— Friend (native to Virginia)

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Columbia Pike Library Exhibit 2025