“Pink Tiger” (30.10.24)
For our first exhibition, I decided to create a piece inspired by my own childhood, in particular how at any opportunity to have my face painted I would demand to be a PINK tiger. Preferably wth sequins. And glitter. To me, this reveals the way queerness shapes our lives, and builds the fundamentals of who we are. As a child, I didn’t know I was gay, but I did know that I loved pink, and sparkles, dolls and unicorns and princess dresses, and I didn’t care if other kids made fun of me for it. I felt that my choice to be a pink tiger represented an innate pride in who I am , a pride I hope shines through in my work today.
Featuring an acrylic portrait (50cmx30cm, acrylic on canvas) surrounded by a “pride” of pink tigers, both paper and ceramic, this piece became a shrine to my younger self. Though the portrait itself was simple, working with ceramics was very out of my comfort zone. I was inspired by the ceramic work of Noami Anderson-Subryan, whose exploration of the kitsch and nostalgic aligned perfectly with my exploration of campness and childhood. Her quirky character sculptures influenced me to create a series of cartoonish ceramic pink tigers, three of which surround my portrait like toys guarding him. The painting was positioned close to the ground so that viewers would have to crouch down to see it, just as you might have to bend down to talk to a child. I loved the vulnerability this brought to the piece, especially alongside the strength of the tigers guarding him. The vulnerability of the positioning of this piece was noted by my peers during our group crits, who felt that having to bend down to properly see the work made it more impactful.