Queers Just Wanna Have Fun
An online Exhibition
Juried by The Queerly Collective Team
In light of what is occurring in our world, we at Queerly Collective were in search of the joy that had seemingly ceased to exist in the social media world as well. With the pervasiveness of show cancellations in the art community, we felt a call to action. We aspired to create another avenue for your hard work to be shown. Our desire to alleviate some of the pain that is accompanied by uncertainty led us to the creation of this exhibition. While it is easy to become lost in an endless scroll of work inspired by the anxiety we are collectively feeling, we hoped this exhibition brings levity to our viewers and illustrates how we as a community are, by nature, resilient beings.
That being said, we would like to thank you for the extraordinary number of submissions we received. With this being our first exhibition we are thrilled by the prospects for our future at Queerly Collective, as well as the ways in which we are able to serve the LGBTQIAP+ artists and makers community. We would not exist without our predecessors and without each and every one of you. Thank you for joining us in this journey, and giving us the ability to showcase these international artists. We will continue to mirror the world we desire to exist in and fight for our collective voices and visions to be seen and heard. We are humbled to be in service to our community.
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* = Juror's Pick
You Should Be Painting
Brooke Ebeling/ Posca Pen on canvas/ 8x10”/ 2020
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My current body of work celebrates the vibrancy of everyday life, as well as the technicolor world in which our memories reside. In my still life pieces, I primarily paint fun and familiar subjects - such as board games, toys, and decorations - with special attention given to the energy within their hues. During these difficult times, I find myself turning to games as a way to unwind, but also for the sense of comfort that comes from memories of playing with family and friends when it was still safe to do so. I cherish the time spent with loved ones over a game table or console controller, and I hope that these pieces remind the viewer of some fun memories of their own.
Website - http://brookeebeling.weebly.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/brookeebelingart/
Meanwhile, the World Goes On
Houndstooth Art Collective/ Digital/ 21in x 26in/ April 2020
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We are a Vancouver based art collective with a special interest in the radical liberations associated with social and environmental justice. Finding joy and liberation in the shadows of marginalization, a space that Queer folks have historically and continually occupied, we created this piece by finding new ways of connecting and fostering Queer joy. This is amidst a new set of structures and structures relating to how we communicate with one another. Specifically, this piece uses the process of one person making an edition and then passing the work forward digitally until it makes its way through the entire group. We adapt collectively and seek out these spaces of joy.
While this is not an ideal process, it is a necessary adaptation to the times, and parallels the way that Queer people have always had to make space for ourselves to have joy. In navigating a communal art making process in this period of social distancing, we attempt to showcase how this is still possible, it just takes new forms. This piece has no singular meaning to all five of us, but is itself an example of how Queer collectives mediate collectivity under the watchful eye of institutional hegemonies and the different ways that we find joy within them. A large part of finding joy in Queerness comes out of being liberated from societally imposed shame, hence the inclusion of three lines from Lesbian poet Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese which deals with said themes. One of these lines was adapted from “you do not have to be good” to “be good.” The other line we quote is the title, “Meanwhile, the World Goes On,” a line we relate to now more than ever, as we ponder the comfort and terror it evokes.
Website - https://www.instagram.com/houndstoothart/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/houndstoothart/
a certain type of life
Nhylar
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I'm a 24 year old QPOC living in Toronto. I write about queer representation, living away from home, and anything that intrigues or enrages me.
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shutupitdoesntmatter/
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