A Show of Portraits by Queer Artists of Color Aims to Simultaneously Celebrate Individuality and Shared Identity—See It Here
As galleries around the world begin to slowly reopen, we are
spotlighting individual shows worth of your
attention.
“Mien”
Online exhibition benefit through June 30 at TRNK
What the organizers say: “Rather than
presenting queerness as a cultural homology or indulging the
exotification of black and brown bodies, the photographs by the
selected artists take authorship over individual lived experiences
while also acknowledging contributions to a representative body
politic. The seven participating artists selected include Dorian
Ulises López Macías, Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Guanyu Xu, Naima
Green, Nelson Morales, Simone Thompson, and Texas Isaiah.”
What the curator says: “I think every
queer and person of color can relate to the tension between
community and self explored by this group exhibition,” says the
show’s curator Tariq Dixin. “The paradoxical burden, yet privilege
of always representing something larger than oneself. The fury over
society’s attempt to erase individual experiences, but the
fulfillment earned by inspiring others who see themselves in you.
Each of these artists interrogates this understanding in their own
unique way. The artworks are strong assertions of the artists’
undeniable individuality, but they all join together in celebration
of a shared queer identity.”
Why it’s worth a look: Timed to coincide
with Pride month, the presentation doubles as a fundraiser for
the Ali Forney Center, the nation’s largest agency
assisting LGBTQ+ homeless youth. The New York City-based center
provides meals, mental and physical health services, and housing
programs for at-risk youth.
The show is organized by Tariq Dixon, the co-founder of TRNK, a
home-furnishings studio, who identifies as both queer and a BIPOC.
As The Cut points out, the images of
black and brown people in lush landscapes, in repose, and in the
midst of tender exchanges offer a break from footage of violence
and police brutality that have been flooding the
internet. Dixon said, “What these artists offer in this moment
is nourishment of spirit and soul, and a reminder to celebrate our
own power and our own strength. We need that strength in order to
keep fighting.”
Each work is available as a limited-edition 20-inch x 30-inch
poster ($75 unframed/$250 framed). All proceeds go to the Ali
Forney Center.
What it looks like:
Dorian Ulises López Macías, Te
Extraño. Courtesy of the artist.
Dorian Ulises López, de la calle / a
la calle…Rafa Esparza’s performance for ICA LA. Courtesy of the
artist.
Nelson Morales, Ticunas. Courtesy
of the artist.
Texas Isaiah, San Cha (2018).
Courtesy of the artist.
Nelson Morales, Self Portrait in Red
Skirt. Courtesy of the artist.
Simone Thompson, Schentell.
Courtesy of the artist.
Guanyu Xu, Alpha Male. Courtesy
of the artist.
Elliott Jerome Brown Jr., Breath
tucks in and weighs the eyes closed. Beyond that callused layer
lies a circular gradient of white, into yellow, into burnt orange
and red. A euphoric entrance into day, and yet space becomes
obscure and distant in the dark. Suddenly, in the aftermath of that
quiet to-do of colors, my body is that only thing I know to be
here. “Take your time,” you whisper. Courtesy of the
artist.
The post A Show of Portraits by Queer Artists of Color Aims
to Simultaneously Celebrate Individuality and Shared Identity—See
It Here appeared first on artnet News.
Read more https://news.artnet.com/exhibitions/benefit-print-lgbtq-ali-forney-center-1884438
Further reading
Leave a comment