An experimental study of the intricate relationships between the catholic church and the queer community, through the juxtaposition of their visual identities and their material culture. Bright colors and powerful illustrations clash with what otherwise would be a traditional canvas, keeping the essence of the object but being washed over by pop culture, nightlife, pride (and rainbows). In this Rosary, each bead represents not only a prayer, but the sensibilities the LGBTQA+ community lives by.
The fragility, delicateness and vulnerability of the piece itself is a reminder of the shaky grounds where the relationship between these two groups stand, and the sense of conflict that comes with growing up queer in a religious environment. Carrying two identities that seem to clash with each other comes as a heavy weight (as such, the object has big proportions and a heaviness to it), but also as a reminder of the complexity of balancing the contexts we grew up in and the ones we want to grow into: traditions that have been preceding us since before we were born and new traditions that we want to live by.
The slow and dedicated process of preparing the metal, carefully laying a layer of glass, submitting it to high temperatures and hand painting the pieces felt like little steps into mending my own relationship with my religious background and coming to an understanding that both the queer and catholic side of me can beautifully coexist within myself.
Projekt: To Carry
Sommersemester 23
Sacred Queerness
Kupfer, Emaille, Schnur.
[...] traditions that have been preceding us since before we were born and new traditions that we want to live by.
