Velvet and Steel

  Queer failure is generally defined as the intentional nonconformity to societal norms and is viewed as a radical form of resistance and a source of resilience, creativity, and transformative potential within queer communities. Velvet and Steel (2024) is a project that investigates how the concept of queer failure is represented and embodied within the dynamics and relationships of butch and femme lesbian communities. It explores how these identities challenge traditional norms of gender and sexuality and create a unique and meaningful cultural landscape.

"While thinking and exploring how I wanted to capture the connection of butches and femmes in this work, the significance of dyke hands stayed present in my mind. Hands are already one of the most expressive parts of a persons body, compounded with the history and significance of hands within the lesbian community, made it clear that this was an exploration I needed to follow. By digging into the many aspects of the history and culture, as well as drawing on personal experience, I wanted to create pieces that myself and other lesbians and queer people could see themselves and other members of the community reflected in. So many lesbian stereotypes that I include in these works have much deeper histories. For instance, we often hear jokes about the stereotypes of lesbians being vegetarian, which is rooted in the large wage gap so historically lesbian couples could not afford meat and became vegetarian; not by choice but by necessity. While it may be more often a conscious choice now rather than by necessity, this was to me important to include in these works. I also include a lot of handmade object for similar reasons, while now it is often out of preference that lesbians make a lot of things, it was historically out of need. It is my hope that many people can see themselves or loved ones in these scenes, and yet they remain distinctly queer."