Installations by Wolfie Rawk, Gustavo Gonzalez, Camilo Cortes and Nadia Vedeneyeva
Curated by Cora Lambert

 

Gender Patterns: Clothing makes the... explores gender identity through the work of fabric/textile artists Wolfie Rawk and Gustavo Gonzalez, Camilo Cortes and Nadia Vedeneyeva.

 

Using fabrics, colors and stitching, Gustavo Gonzalez and Juan Camilo tailors couture that explores the concept of gay and lesbian clothing as inherently reductive in nature. Accompanying the designs is an installation of reflective mirrors and text that challenge the viewer to confront issues of homophobia.

 

Through acquiring and reconstructing unwashed undergarments, Wolfie Rawk creates large scale, painting-like tapestries that elucidate strength and divinity. The re-stitched fabrics recall the processes of identity erasure, reconstruction and empowerment. In addition, Rawk includes a self-portrait based in an art therapy technique that explores body-self connections and trauma. It uses the repetitive language of embroidery to deal with the ideas of mending, symbolism and storytelling.

 

 

 

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Peaches Descending to Kiss Ivy
Fabric assemblage
65 x 129"

These pieces from the ALTERNATORS—series deal with earthly revelation, celebration and care. Clothing can be a gender signifier as well as a proxy for the body itself. I tear and resew these clothes to mirror the sense of frustration, play, self-care and healing that I experience with my body and gender as a trans person with epilepsy. Most of these clothes have question mark histories, of being close to bodies I’ll never know. Through reconstructing unwashed clothes that are rooted in anonymity this fabric is turned into images of strength and divinity that discuss identity erasure, construction and empowerment. These pieces are likewise interested in queer icons as identity mirrors, patron saints and secret communion holders.  

 

Body Mapping – Never Give Up
Embroidery on canvas

This piece is a self-portrait based in an art therapy technique that explores body-self connections and trauma. It uses the repetitive language of embroidery to deal with ideas of mending, symbology and story-telling as well as an indefinite bodily experience.

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WHATEVER FITS
Installation by Gustavo Gonzalez, Camilo Cortes and Nadia Vedeneyeva

This installation uses four dressed manequins which deal with issues of androgyny, balance and gender identity.

Gustavo Gonzalez
Gustavo was born in Columbia and is currently a student at F.I.T for fashion design with a focus on custom design with a background in fine art. He is interested in sketching and tailoring couture that points to the paradox of identifying ones clothing as gay or lesbian and the reductive nature of excepting this as a self-inflicting homophobia.

Camilo Cortes
Bio to come .

Nadia Vedeneyeva
Bio to come.

A special thanks to the Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design Dept. at F.I.T. for the donation of mannequins for this exhibit.