This solo exhibition features a selection of jewelry by Sulo Bee, a nonbinary interdisciplinary metalsmith and maker based in Central Texas. Using experimental techniques in metalworking, they couch their subversion to contemporary society in vibrant colors and intricate metal constructions, expressing what defines their non-binary identity.
Exhibition Statement
::iRiD3SC3NT[dreamz_____]::: showcases the progression and development of $P4RKL3_FiLTH_CL0UD_NiN3, from the pieces that laid the foundation for me to build this world to the pieces that define it today. This exhibition is a manifestation of the specificities of my identity in a new body post gender-affirming surgery and how I view the world through the lens of $P4RKL3_FiLTH. As my identity evolves, different versions of myself join me as I decode the complexities of the world around me through this lens, creating a self-made reality of belonging and comfort.
Here, I analyze the tender queer happenings of the evolution of my identity and reconcile with the fragmented narratives I used to previously define myself. Using automatic and blind contour drawing, I create a new world and characters with which to align. Pulling imagery from action figures in my studio space, favorite cartoons, or the flora and fauna that surrounds me, I build a database to inform my world-building process. New forms emerge from the irregular overlap of lines, and I create characters that define $P4RKL3_FiLTH.
Through this process, I break myself and put things back together through the vibrant colors and intricate constructions of $P4RKL3_FiLTH_CL0UD_NiN3. By creating systems with both fabricated and found objects, I embody a space where ::iRiD3SC3NT[dreamz_____]::: exist, and I can tell the story of this enigmatic realm that allows me to process both my existence and gender identity.
