Framed
Contributing an important piece to ComplexCon’s discourse about the past, present, and future of pop culture, Queer Kicks invites viewers to explore the connection of identity, self-expression, and the love of sneakers viewed from the queer perspective. Curated by San Francisco-based Schlomer Haus Gallery and presented by Hijinx Arts, this group exhibition uses sneaker culture as a micro- cosm to explore the effects of personal identity on style and pop culture as a whole.
In Queer Kicks, twelve artists from across the LGBTQIA spectrum bring their views into the greater discussion of arts and culture, and who/what moves the needle between popular and unpopular, offering a more holistic picture of the world.
With the simple prompt to look at sneakerhead culture through a Queer lens, each artist was given the freedom to explore the subject in their own way. Abel Rodriguez, Carlos Rodriguez, Daniel Clurman, Devynn Barnes, Geep Warhaftig, Goku Mcafee, Hunter Harvey, Michael Thế Khôi Trến, Nonamey, Samuel Richardson, Taylor Nicholson, and Thomas Martinez Pilnik contribute paintings, ceramics, and sculpture installations that challenge style and identity within a culture that has traditionally been dominated by heter- onormative narratives. Each piece is a new work created specifically for the ComplexCon fanbase.
Schlomer Haus explains, “Sneakers have long been more than just shoes – they are canvases for self-expression and reflections of our individuality. In an era where personal style and self-identity play crucial roles in our everyday lives, sneakers - now considered an essential accessory of modern life - have evolved from just footwear into symbols of empowerment, community, and artistic expres- sion.”
The exhibition asks viewers to look beyond the surface of fashion, style, design and music to examine the complexities of what it means to be queer. Just as sneakerhead culture celebrates individuality and creativity, so too does the LGBTQIA community fight for self-expression and identity, pushing boundaries, and embracing diversity in a world that often demands conformity.
Discussing the upcoming show, Schlomer Haus gallerist and co-owner Steffan Schlarb looks forward to the exploration of Queer joy. “People get obsessed with sneakers and it’s something that they take a lot of pleasure in, both collecting and showing off their collec- tions. This is an exciting opportunity to celebrate sneaker culture as something Queer people can claim and take joy in.”
ARTISTS:
ABEL RODRIGUEZ
Abel Rodriguez is a Queer Xicano artist who was born in Fairfield, CA in 1979. He received an MFA degree in Painting from Yale School of Art in 2010, and a BFA in Drawing and Painting, and in Graphic Design from California State University, Long Beach in 2007. He was selected to participate in the Artist in Residence Program at Recology, San Francisco in 2011. He co-owns El Comalito Collective in Vallejo, CA., whose mission is to create networks that build support and fostered opportunities for marginalized voices. Abel has exhibited internationally and currently works and resides in Vallejo, CA.
DANIEL CLURMAN
Daniel Clurman approaches the human face as pure emotion conveyed through saturated color and energetic brush strokes. He makes drawings and paintings of himself, his family and people he admires either from history or social media. Clurman’s process begins by researching a subject through images and imagining them as part of his visual world. His goal is to reveal humanity and the intersections of race and gender within the images he chooses. The visual representation of Clurman’s BIPOC queerness has been the fundamental reason for making his work.
DEVYNN BARNES
Devynn Barnes is an interdisciplinary artist, new Black renaissance archivist and visual emoter. Based in Oakland, Devynn draws deep passion and inspiration from her people and the rich tapestry of nostalgic moments. With reverence for timeless authenticity, she embarks on a journey of visually memorializing the ethereal nature of folx of color, celebrating their magnificent simplicity of being.
As a queer Black artist, they navigate the delicate balance between documenting and challenging societal norms, and shedding light on the intricacies of marginalized experiences. Through their art, they seek to uncover untold stories, illuminating the unspoken truths that reside within the archives of the past.By melding documentation with artistic expression, they invite viewers to confront their own narratives, encouraging a collective awakening and communal (melanated) homecoming.
GEEP WARHAFTIG
Born 1994 in Bronx, New York, Geep Warhaftig currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. Warhaftig holds a BFA in Visual Art with a minor in Human-Computer Interaction from Carnegie Mellon University (2019) and she has received a certificate from École Estienne (2016) in Paris, France for digital design. Her work has been exhibited at Mana Contemporary, The Glove, Miller Gallery, Frame Gallery, and Guthrie Gallery. She is a former Fulbright Scholar Finalist (2020) and former artist in residence at The Guthrie in Salt Lake City, Utah (2023).
GOKU MCAFEE
Goku Mcafee was born 1988 in Merced, California & is based out of Fresno & San Francisco, California. Self-taught & studied, Mcafee is a self-described “jazz musician,” and considers his paint brush his instrument. Crafting both figurative & abstract works of synesthesia & lyrical expressionism, Mcafee’s work experiments with dualities & his own unraveling inner monologues. Like all jazz musicians, Mcafee’s works seeks to offer a fresh perspective to the familiar. Bold colors, broad improvisational strokes, and careful use of archetype, speak to his own evolving relationship to his Chicano & fluid identities; playful, gender-bending self-portraiture, sacreligious holy trinities, and self-indulgent, sexual, & sacred scenes of intimacy. The rawness of Mcafee’s work is balanced by a naïveté and compassion for its subjects. Even the devil is painted in the best light. Mcafee’s work does what all jazz music will do, emotionally gripping and engaging the viewer, in a wholly present & heart-connecting expression of humanity.
HUNTER HARVEY
Hunter Harvey (b. 1989 in Peoria, Illinois) earned his BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2012) and his MFA from the University of Chicago (2015). Desire, connection and love are central themes in Harvey’s work, while often referencing American popular culture, namely the Flintstones and Smokey the Bear. Through painting these characters into a vibrant queer universe, Harvey imagines a version of America that could be. He currently lives and works in downtown Los Angeles where he pulls inspiration from the landscape of southern California.
MICHAEL TRAN
“I’m an interdisciplinary artist from LA/OC. Currently, my recent body of work explores how the displaced Vietnamese population through community has created a home in Little Saigon, California. I achieve this by referencing local spaces such as the supermarket, temples, and swap meets, and how my community interacts with these spaces. My other body of work is about my Asexuality and the boundaries created from the fear of rejection. It plays on the idea of power, control, anger, and wishing. ” -Michael Tran
NONAMEY
Nonamey (they/them) is a trans-non-binary, indigenous (Ojibwe), Portland-based artist, having spent their formative years in Taos, New Mexico. Using cardboard, acrylic, spray paint, and paper, Nonamey has created a body of work varying from sculpture, painting, and installation art. Growing up in the southwest, they were inspired early on by the relics of Americana: motels with shattered neon, vacant houses, train cars, and found roadside objects. These experiences translate into the work they create today from the banks of the Willamette River.
SAMUEL R RICHARDSON
Samuel Richardson (b. 1998) is a Richmond-based painter. Binding the divides between heaven and hell, uncertainty unveils itself in the hallucinatory realms of Richardson's work. Philosophies of unearthly phenomena are dissected and reshaped to portray a modern world in which non-human coexistence becomes imminent.
TAYLOR LEE NICHOLSON
Taylor Lee Nicholson (b. 1991, they/them) is a queer artist, curator, and self-described “garbage person” who loves to mix kitsch and creepiness for comically grotesque results. Their personal story of experiencing the demolition of their childhood home is rooted deeply in the work via Southern gothic undertones. The performance of the self is also a core theme of Taylor’s overall work, and they often experiment in new media and performance art on Instagram - a performance that gets more complicated as the artwork obtains press and Taylor obtains new “personality disorder” diagnoses. Taylor’s projects range across many media and often culminate in autobiographical installations (both online and offline) that are interactive in nature as collaborative relational aesthetics.
THOMAS MARTINEZ PILNIK
Thomas Martinez Pilnik (b. 1993) grew up in London to Brazilian parents, and obtained his BA in Studio Art and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, M.Ed in Postsecondary Education from the University of Southern California, and MFA from the University of Connecticut. He is now based in Los Angeles and works primarily in Textiles and Ceramics. Pilnik has exhibited internationally in spaces including Zaratan Arte Contemporânea (Lisbon), Shelter in Place Gallery (Boston), Arusha Gallery (London), and Lauren Powell Projects (Los Angeles), and has created installations and works in collaboration with organizations such as the Los Angeles Department of Mental Health and Downtown Providence Parks Conservancy. His residency history includes stays at Zaratan, Stove Works in Tennessee, and an upcoming post at Art House San Clemente.