queer notion

Recipient of the 2020 Margaret Stonewall Hamblet Merit Award

Presented annually to a graduating senior in the Vanderbilt Department of Art who demonstrates artistic excellence and promise, and is the culmination of a year-long thesis project.

queer notion is a project based in reflection, centered around a collection of six crocheted masks that visibly represent emotions that I experienced growing up in a conservative setting as a closeted member of the LGBTQ+ community. A mask, as an object, holds a double-edged significance to the wearer. They can be a welcomed protective force or an unwanted obstruction of view.

Each mask is made to represent an emotional sensation that I have experienced in my identity journey:

dread | hesitancy | passion | frustration | self-reliance | hope

The masks are constructed with strips of used clothing, tied together to create yarn. I chose this material intentionally, as the clothes we wear are a reflection of identity both personally and within society. The performative nature of creating these objects holds significance as well - I did not follow a pattern or plan, nor did I undo any of the stitches. I allowed the mask to evolve as I sat with my memories and emotions. The masks are raw, textured, and organic, reflecting the tangled nature of emotional perception.