Art Exhibit - Uyghur Community

Uyghur Collection

Postcards from East Turkistan

Photographic collage

Intimate snapshots of daily Uyghur life, preserving memories of freedom and cultural heritage now under threat. Official postcards from the late 1990s capturing everyday life across East Turkestan—from Kashgar to Urumqi to the Pamir Plateau.

The photographs showcase civilians shopping at bazaars, enjoying local food and drinks, and interacting with animals such as donkeys. Notable landmarks featured include the Imin Minaret and the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine.

Traditional Etles Dress

Silk textile garment

Handmade Etles silk dress from Kashgar, symbolizing Uyghur cultural identity, craftsmanship, and resilience. Etles is a famous Uyghur textile pattern, often featured in traditional clothing for both women and men.

Traditionally worn during special occasions such as weddings and holidays, the vibrant Etles design is also woven into the fabric of daily life in East Turkestan—appearing in architecture, garments, and furniture across the region. This particular dress was handmade in the city of Kashgar using real silk.

Traditional Uyghur Dress

Historic garment

Rare and historic traditional Uyghur dress, embodying community traditions, celebration, and cultural preservation. It embodies common Uyghur attire characteristics like layering and bright colors. Today, it is most commonly worn during celebration events and festival performances for traditional Uyghur dance.

Wall Text: The East Turkestan Police Leaks

This exhibit features selected images and internal documents leaked from Chinese state archives, collectively known as the Xinjiang Police Files. These materials were obtained from confidential sources and authenticated by investigative teams from major global outlets, including the BBC and Voice of America.

The photographs, taken between 2017 and 2018, depict Uyghur men, women, and children detained in so-called “re-education” camps across East Turkestan. Many were targeted and imprisoned solely because of their ethnic background and Muslim faith—facing accusations as vague as “having a beard,” “wearing a veil,” or “studying the Qur’an.”

Alongside these haunting portraits are police manuals, surveillance protocols, internal directives, and shoot-to-kill orders—revealing the scale and brutality of the Chinese state’s campaign of mass internment and cultural erasure.

This installation transforms leaked state records into testimony—humanizing those who have been detained and silenced. It offers an unfiltered window into life inside the camps and honors the courage of whistleblowers who risked everything to expose the truth.