As part of their Duke Arts Administration Fellowship, Maya Ghanem will collaborate with Nashia Ogbuagu to curate Trajectories: Liberated Pathways through Makeup, Photography, and Jewelry, an exhibition at Queen Street Magic Boat, a vibrant new hub for community art.

Far more than a portrait exhibition, Trajectories is an exploration of identity, transformation, and liberation through artistic expression. It began with makeup and jewelry—mediums often dismissed as ornamental but deeply tied to self-perception and cultural narratives. Ghanem’s fascination with makeup began in high school. Discouraged from wearing it while growing up, they were drawn to its artistic potential through YouTube tutorials and social media. Over time, what started as an aesthetic interest evolved into a practice of self-invention, community-building, and critical reflection on identity.

For Ghanem, applying makeup—first on themselves, then on others—became an intimate act of asking: How do you see yourself? How do you want to be seen? In an unrestricted world, what version of yourself would you present?

For Ghanem, applying makeup—first on themselves, then on others—became an intimate act of asking: How do you see yourself? How do you want to be seen? In an unrestricted world, what version of yourself would you present?

Trajectories expands these questions into a broader examination of society by envisioning personal and structural trajectories without the shackles of oppression. What paths would we have taken without colonial restrictions? What would we have explored? What mistakes would we have learned from? How would we understand our stories and our concept of time?

Because makeup is ephemeral, Ghanem turned to photography to capture its transformative power. The portraits in Trajectories feature five subjects who engaged in this process of self-exploration, resulting in a deeply collaborative project that blends art with personal storytelling.

“I started the project by interviewing five of my friends about how they see themselves in an ideal or liberated world,” explains Ghanem. “What would their day-to-day look like? Who would they spend their time with and why? Will there still be problems in an ideal world? If so, how would they solve them? How does time pass in their ideal world? We took these conversations and created a visual representation out of them, through makeup, clothing, set design, and photography. The most challenging—but rewarding—part of the project was interpreting abstract or theoretical ideas about a liberated life into a tangible and visible representation.”

Through makeup, Ghanem has found layers of community—both in the shared techniques and camaraderie of online spaces and in the profound one-on-one moments of painting and adornment. The venue, Queen Street Magic Boat, was a natural choice to exhibit this new work. A home turned community space and arts hub, its domestic setting echoes Ghanem’s elevation and focus on traditionally feminine spaces in artistic practice. 

Ghanem joined the Duke Arts team this summer, and Trajectories is a key component of their fellowship. Their work with Duke Arts—coordinating events, workshops, and marketing—has prepared them to launch an exhibition of their own.

“I could not have done this without my experience at and support from Duke Arts,” says Ghanem. “Through my fellowship, I was able to design a meaningful year-long project and pursue it to its completion.

“I could not have done this without my experience at and support from Duke Arts,” says Ghanem. “Through my fellowship, I was able to design a meaningful year-long project and pursue it to its completion.

In the past, I usually did make-up and photography for others in impromptu scenarios: I would create day-of photography backdrops from hung bedsheets in my room.  With the support of Duke Arts, the vision collaborators and I had for this project became much more precise and intentional. My experience at Duke Arts helped me partner with or invest in community businesses, like ShadowBox Studio and The Scrap Exchange, to learn more about photography and set design. Combined with my growing experience in makeup, I am grateful to capture the vision of all our participants.”

The exhibition runs from May 10 to June 10 on Tuesdays and Saturdays, 5–8 p.m. Join Ghanem and Ogbuagu for a series of free events throughout the exhibition, including a reception, a Duke Arts Create workshop, and more.

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