Introducing Mahnaz Akbari, the inspiration behind the third mask of Paola Pivi’s (@paolapivi) commission, “You know who I am.” 🗽 Mahnaz Akbari was born in Mashhad, Iran in 1985, to an Afghan refugee family, and lived in Kabul, Afghanistan from 2011 to 2021. Mahnaz was among the limited number of Afghan women who were evacuated in August 2021 after the withdrawal of the United States military from Afghanistan. Mahnaz, along with her two nieces she managed to evacuate with, are currently in the process of applying for asylum in the United States. Each emoji-inspired mask in the series represents an individual whose experience of freedom is connected to the United States, offering the sentiment that anyone could be represented within the symbol of the statue. For some, their story may be about having gained or hoping to gain greater freedoms upon entering the US; for others, the US may represent a denied dream of freedom. Learn more about Mahnaz and this piece at the link in profile. Paola Pivi, “You know who I am,” 2022. A High Line Commission. On view April 2022 - March 2023. Cover photo by @layer_nyc