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Rasu Jilani is an Independent curator, social sculptor and entrepreneur whose work investigates the intersection between art, culture and civic engagement as a means of raising critical consciousness. The objective of his work is to activate interaction between artists, the local community and the wider public, in order to promote awareness around social issues through exhibitions, humanities, community programs and cultural events. Jilani is a co-founder of the art and socially responsible brand, Coup d’etat Brooklyn, a Brooklyn-based collaboration of highly respected artists, to produce various art-related events throughout New York City. Jilani now serves as a Arts, Culture and Sustainability Consultant at the Pratt Center for Community Development, managing art and cultural programs designed to connect New York City neighborhoods with Pratt Center’s community and environmental sustainability projects.

Influence
The seed of Rasu Jilani's social consciousness began in the late 80s. In 1989, Public Enemy’s “Fight The Power” video in response to Spike Lee’s film “Do The Right Thing,” in the midst of the rising racial tension in NYC due to the death of Yusef Hawkins, has had a profound effect on the way he sees art and its impact on communities. Yusef Hawkins could have been him; he was only a few years older than him, and it was the first time it sank in that he could be a victim of police brutality or a racial crime. This sparked a consciousness of empathy for someone he had not already known, which is the notion of seeing yourself in someone else’s struggle. It was the first time that he can recall seeing socially engaged artists rally a community, redirecting the energy to honor the heroes, collective celebration and created an artistic product as a result. In addition, Hip Hop moment in his pre-teen years has influenced his approach to including communities as a critical piece to his practice as a community organizer and art producer. In 2008 when his first business, Coup d’etat Brooklyn, was conceived, the stoop at his former home on Hancock Street in Bedstuy is the place where his activism was realized, where stories from the neighborhood were shared, and the sense of community was reinforced.

Career
Rasu Jilani is an art curator and develops professional programs in the community. The goal of his work is to increase the calibration between artists, the local community, and the public to bring more awareness around social issues that are taking place. He accomplishes this through art exhibitions, volunteering in the community, developing local community programs and cultural events.

Jilani has worked with over 125 artists to curate, design and manage artistic and community events that address social concerns and local issues. He spent two years as a member at Culture and Sustainability at the Pratt Center for Community Development. This is where he oversaw art and cultural programs that connected New York City communities with Pratt Center's community and environmental sustainability projects. Jilani also served two years as Senior Fellow of the Arts.

Jilani is co-founder of Coup d'etat Arts which is a platform for creative expression and changes cultural boundaries. He organized the Coup d'etat Art Collective in 2008, which is a Brooklyn-based collaboration of between artists to create art-related events and activities around New York City. The Coup d’etat Art Collective provides a unique platform for creative synergy while filling an undeniable void in the arts and culture community. These events include Afropunk Festival, BEAT Festival, Long Island University, Pratt Institute, Columbia University, The New School, Mighty Tanaka Gallery, and the Skylight Gallery.

Jilani worked for MAPP International Productions in April 2013 as Director of Community Programs. His most recent work at MAPP includes Blink Your Eyes: Sekou Sundiata Revisited, Triple Consciousness: Black Feminism(s) in the Time of Now, Days of Art and Ideas, and artists led workshops. Prior to joining MAPP, he served a two-year tenure as Senior Fellow of Arts, Culture and Sustainability at the Pratt Center for Community Development. While at Pratt, projects included Arts East New York’s Summer Saturdaze at East New York Farms, Bedford Stuyvesant’s Retrofit Block-by-Block, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation’s Restoration Rocks and Youth Arts Education, Brooklyn Greens Sustainability Leadership Conference, Cypress Hill Verde Summit, and the “Amplify Action: Sustainability Through The Arts” exhibition.

Jilani is also recognized as one of the resident artists for The Laundromat Project and he was chosen because of the project "Griots in the Stuy". The project is consisted of the photos are of residents who live in and around Tompkins Avenue. He has set out to collect, share and then archive the personal stories of Bed-Stuy–a parallel narrative around gentrification–using Tompkins Avenue as the spine and its residents as “griots.” A griot is a West African word for a historian or storyteller. Griots are a repository of oral tradition and are often seen as a societal leader due to his or her traditional position as an adviser to royal personages. Rasu Jilani became an Artist-in Residence for the Laundromat Project on May 6, 2015. The mission behind the Laundromat Project is to heighten the creativity that already exists within local communities by utilizing art and culture. The result will be strengthened networks within the community, it will solve problems, and enhance the sense of ownership the community has to the place where they live, work, and grow. They strive to have artists be understood and recognized as an asset in every community. Everyday people need to know the power of their own creative power to transform their lives, strengthen their relationships, and improve their surroundings.

Recent Projects

 * Brooklyn Greens Sustainability Leadership Conference: “Greening from the Ground Up!”, 2012
 * Cypress Hills Verde Summit – Youth Arts Workshop, Fall 2011
 * Restoration Rocks, 2011 – “Live Healthy, Live Green, Live Well”
 * Bed-Stuy Restoration – Youth Arts Program, Summer 2011
 * Cypress Hills Energy Block Party, Summer 2011
 * Coup d’etat Artshow – “Live to change something Through Art”, Fall 2009
 * Afropunk Festival, Art Production, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012

Venues curated

 * Skylight Gallery, Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation
 * Long Island University, Salena Gallery, Flatbush Campus
 * SlyArt & Robot City
 * Brooklyn Academy of Music