To Queer or not to Queer, that is the Question.
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I would like to get back to being more personal on this blog, so I'll start with this. I have actually written two different versions of the "About the Artist" section of the exhibition press release. One mentions my ethnic heritage, birthplace and sexuality, the other does not. See below:
Original: About the Artist: voxie is an illustrator & animator born in South London. She is British Filipina, identifies as queer (she/they) and loves art and digital technology. She created this augmented reality project as part of MA Illustration (online) at the University of Hertfordshire. After working most of her life as a graphic designer, almost 20 years later, she returns to the art world through this MA. This would be her first solo exhibition. Her art is inspired by a combination of comics, manga, vintage graphics and 80s cartoons.
Edited: About the Artist: voxie is an illustrator & animator from South London, focusing on merging digital tech with traditional ink. She created this augmented reality project as part of MA Illustration (online) at the University of Hertfordshire. After working most of her life as a graphic designer, almost 20 years later, she returns to the art world through this MA. This would be her first solo exhibition. Her art is inspired by a combination of comics, manga, woodcut prints, vintage graphics and 80s cartoons.
So, why the change?
A day after releasing news of the exhibition, I decided to remove references to my ethnicity and sexuality on later posts. Simply because I don’t believe the information is relevant to the work I do. Genuinely, I would prefer people to look at my work, not at me and my personal details. Overall, I don’t think where I come from or my relationships, should matter at all when it comes to what I make. Why should who anyone decides to have an intimate relationship with, be anyone's business but their own? I believe in having personal freedoms as long as one is not intentionally hurting any one else.
However the reality is, that there are changes to be made with certain cultures and their harmful judgements in this world. I'm aware that the only way to help make that change, is to make a stand. But what if you feel you haven't any stature or status to stand in the first place?
There are many, many, many artists who didn't come out as LGBTQ+ until much later in their career. Thankfully, the world is a better place because of them and their courage. However, at this point in time, I am relatively unknown in the art space, so I will continue to keep these details on a downlow, so that the observer may look at my work, rather than be distracted by me and my personal life. I am not the art on display, nor do I want to be.
But, while its taken me a long time to get here, I'm proud of who/what I am, and I believe stating it publicly carries power - it can help guide others who may feel lost, as many other artists have done for me. However, there are many different ways of navigating the public realm. Is it necessary to state it absolutely everywhere? There are enough rainbow-adorned campaigns doing this. Is my exhibition part of that? It isn't. Actually, it's more than gay, it's also straight (learn more about the exhibition and its message here!).
Overall, I do want to help change the world's perceptions on LGBTQ+ identities. So my conclusion is this; I hope to pull together an art book after the exhibition, so I can mention "it" there. Why there? Well I suppose if anyone reaching is out to purchase a book filled with my work, then surely it would also mean that they're reaching out to learn more about me as person? After having already appreciated or understood my work first, viewing the work for what it is, without any other biases and judgements.
Hopefully, I'm right in saying that, because that is what matters most of all to me.
[Edited for brevity and clarity 9th April 2024.]
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