Mwinga Sinjela, Jungo Jym, acrylic paint, gouache, tempera on canvas; Joan Cox, In the Garden of Autumn, oil on canvas; Jos Witteveen, Arthur, toyobo etching.
NEW CANAAN, CT, May 30, 2023—In celebration of Pride month, Silvermine presents QUEERwerks, an exhibition that showcases the dynamic artistic spirit of the LGBTQIA+ community. Each artwork tells a compelling story, shedding light on personal journeys, struggles, triumphs, and the celebration of queer identity. Curated by Stamatina Gregory, an independent curator and scholar, the exhibition will open at Silvermine Galleries June 1. The public is invited to an opening reception on Saturday, June 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
QUEERwerks invites visitors to step into the artists’ worlds, fostering a dialogue that honors their complexities and truths. In “Reflect Everything and Show Nothing,” Ryan Van Der Hout reveals the layers of imitation involved in the formation of self-identity. His composition combines a nude self-portrait, obscured and reflected in a disco ball, with a close up of the artist’s skin in drag. Ollie Hongji Li, who often works with botanical and hand-spun yarns, explores the concept of giving up patriarchal power in pieces where electric cords are woven into textiles. Libby Paloma’s installation of large-scale soft sculpture of plants and clouds pays delightful homage to underappreciated plants—“their resilience…their slowness and also the energy they preserve.”
Curator and scholar Stamatina Gregory has taught art history, critical theory, and writing at the University of Pennsylvania, New York University, Parsons/The New School, the School of Visual Arts, and Sotheby’s Institute, and has organized exhibitions for institutions including the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia; the Santa Monica Museum of Art/ICA, L.A.; The Cooper Union; Austrian Cultural Forum; and the 55th Venice Biennale. They are the Head Curator and Director of Exhibitions and Collections at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art in New York City.
This exhibition, which includes painting, photography, video, sculpture, and interactive works, embraces the power of art as a platform for self-expression, identity exploration, and social commentary. QUEERwerks serves as a testament to the unique perspectives of LGBTQIA+ artists. It will run through July 13.
