could I, as an abstract visual artist,
represent artists that share my identity?
could I be queer representation,
without ever mentioning my sexuality in my work?
could I represent people of color,
without making art depicting people of color?
would it be enough to just make art and be myself?
is that representation enough?
for far too long minorities have been excluded from the mainstream art scene.
now, it is slowly changing.
artists that were left out of the narrative are now being seen
and are calling out institutions for their discrimination.
but is it still necessary for me to make activist art,
in order to be accepted into art institutions?
where are the artists who belong to minority groups that do not make art about their identity?
of course, it is necessary to break out of the molds
that were created in the first place—but could we go beyond breaking them?
is it a luxury and am I speaking from a place of privilege when I think beyond activism?
could I, as a queer, female artist of color,
represent something or someone, regardless of what my art discusses?
this could be the next step in making the art world more diverse and inclusive,
but maybe the world is not ready for that yet.
I am interested in more than the identities I belong to—-
it’s not that they do not matter,
but that there is simply so much to talk about.