Presented alongside the work of Karen Reimer and Antonius Bui, moniquemeloche introduces new work by Chicago based Nereida Patricia.
Patricia’s work ruminates on issues of transfeminine embodiment and bodily precarity -- how racially and gender marginalized groups endure prejudices which in many cases results in harm or even death. The exquisite beaded relief paintings are inspired formally and conceptually from traditional arpilleras, brightly colored patchwork burlap textiles that rose to prominence in Chile during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet (1973-1990). The composition and intent echoes this form of protest, intricately memorializing the violence perpetrated on racialized and queer bodies, while also celebrating moments of strength and survival. Drawing from personal experiences, Patricia depicts members of the queer community, as well as those living and working on the streets, not as an act of memorial, but as an exploration into their quest for survival. Morose allusions exist through her figures’ death drops and exposed skeletons, yet are contrasted by flocks of doves and a saturation of sexual strength; a pornographic collage exploring transformation, as well as the ongoing contortion required to survive and navigate harmful postcolonial systems that purposefully omit them from consideration or support.
For her introductory presentation at the gallery, Patricia will focus on a series of new glass beaded wall reliefs; just one component of the artist’s varied practice spanning sculpture, text, and performance, a collective means for expounding on the contemporized queer survival and human transformation.
Nereida Patricia (b. 1996, New York) is a multidisciplinary artist and writer based in Chicago. Patricia holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute Chicago and has also studied at The New School. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago; Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit; Roots and Culture, Chicago; Prairie Gallery, Chicago; Annka Kultys Gallery, London; the Museum of the Moving Image, New York City; The Knockdown Center, New York City; and POWERPLNT, New York City, among others.
