The exhibition showcases eight distinct bodies of work that span nearly three decades of Matthew’s career. The Answers Take Time (by Minor Matters/sepiaEYE, 2022) is Matthew’s first monograph covering her mid-career survey. It elucidates the progression of a conceptual artist who uses photography, collage, animation, and parody to explore performative and nuanced elements of cultural identities. Matthew draws on personal experiences and identity to tell the stories of others. Although she began her career as an accomplished still photographer, her artistic practice has expanded, incorporating a unique blend of stills, moving images, and sound for an immersive experience for the viewer. These works often draw on archival photographs for their inspiration and re-examine historical narratives and the legacies of colonization.

Born in England, Annu Palakunnathu Matthew moved to India at age 11. She immigrated to America at the age of 28 and began her photographic career here. Matthew’s work has garnered international acclaim, with notable exhibitions at prestigious institutions that underscore the global significance of her artistic contributions. She has exhibited in solo shows at the The Royal Ontario Museum; The Newport Art Museum; and Nuit Blanche Toronto. Selected group exhibitions include The RISD Museum; The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Museum of Fine Arts Houston; The San Jose Museum of Art; The Victoria & Albert Museum; The Smithsonian Institution; Noorderlicht Photofestival; Le Mois de la Photo à Montréal Photo Biennale; Kochi-Muziris Biennale; and Guangzhou Photo Biennial. A passionate mentor to students and emerging artists, Matthew is a Professor of Art at the University of Rhode Island. She also served as the Director of the Center for Humanities and the Silvia Chandley Professor of Nonviolence and Peace Studies. Matthew has received many grants and fellowships, including two Fulbright Fellowships, a MacColl Johnson Fellowship, the John Gutmann Fellowship, the Rhode Island State Council of the Arts Fellowship, and the American Institute of Indian Studies Creative Arts Fellowship. She was an artist-in-residence at the Yaddo and MacDowell Colonies.