Another textile I’m working on is this floral, recycled cotton quilt sewn from an older-than-me set of dark blue floral sheets that were my mom’s, leftover pieces from a quilt I made for chosen fam, part of a shirt I love that was too long, and a yellow floral sheet loved and given to me by @leilaawadallah — once I finish the border and backing, I’ll spend the winter hand-quilting with thread passed down to me by my Nana. The quilt will keep me and my loved ones warm for winters to come, and will also be a loving presence onstage with me when I next perform and/or install NET/WORK. // I will have much to say later about what this work means to me, why I am making textiles to express what I can’t say with text, and how I decide what to make and what materials to use—but for now, here is a video of the completed quilt top pinned to a birch tree’s low branches in my backyard, breathing with the wind as daylight fades among gold and green leaves. // #TextilesAsText #MultidisciplinaryPoetics #DisabilityPoetics #TextileArtist #QuiltInProgress #MinnesotaFall #TimeAsMedium
Inter-textural relationships are growing between the net/scrim/screen (2018-19) and the tube/cocoon/snakeskin (2019-present). Both are intended for installation and performance; both are nonverbal ways of chronicling queer disabled time. The scrim is designed for flexible use as a surface for projection and movement, while the tube offers an interior space into which the performing body can retreat, and which will gently support the body in motion. Today the two got to touch for the first time. // Image description: A sequence of photos of two large handknit wool textiles hanging together from a line across the ceiling; one is off-white and squareish, while the other is long, tubular, and pale blue with hints of pink. // #NetworkPerformance #EmbodiedPoetics #DisabilityPoetics #EmbodimentPractice #MovementExperiments #TextilesAsText #QueerArtists #NonbinaryArtists #ChronicPain #ArtistsWithEDS #TimeAsMedium
It was such a gift to collaborate with Lior Allay / @eccentricearthling on Monday morning—thank you for capturing me and my handknit textile on film (that Hasselblad!), spending time, and just generally being wonderful. I installed my scrim in the branches of a beloved catalpa tree, and realized it’s the first time the scrim has gotten to hang outside in the open air, breathing with the wind and warming in the sun. Thank you again, always, to @20percenttheatretc for supporting the initial development and creation of this textile last winter/spring as part of my multidisciplinary performance, NET/WORK, on disabled embodiment and the passage of time. // It’s hard to believe that Lior and I had such beautiful clear, crisp skies that day, given that it’s snowing this morning. Stay tuned for Lior’s photos from the shoot and more on their portrait project—in the meantime, please go follow them @eccentricearthling and support their work on Patreon! // Image description: A photo collage of three images, all taken outside in a grassy park under a tall catalpa tree, where D. has hung their 8x8 foot off-white handknit textile. In two images, Lior stands in front of the textile, looking down at the Hasselblad hanging around their next and looking directly at the camera in another. The third image is a close-up of the light and shadow patterns falling on the textile from the morning sun through leaves. // #MultidisciplinaryArtsPractice #Collaboration #QueerArtists #NonbinaryArtists #TextileAsText #Hasselblad #LiorAllay #DisabilityPoetics #ArtistsWithEDS
Happy National Coming Out Day to all—whether you’re out and loud, out and quiet, aren’t out, can’t be out, or are questioning. I’m D. — a 30-something Scorpio who loves biscuits, will always be a country kid at heart, adores florals and flannel (especially floral flannel), writes poems and essays, and makes textiles and a range of other visual and performance work. I’m queer, genderqueer, and ethically non-monogamous; I also live with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), as well as depression and anxiety. This is my first NCOD with a book—A BONY FRAMEWORK FOR THE TANGIBLE UNIVERSE, published by @the_operating_system in 2019—which holds many words and images about my experience of queer disabled embodiment. This time last year, I was in a very difficult place with my physical and mental health and I am forever grateful for my fam and the ecosystems of care that helped me through it. It’s a gift to have been around to write a book, and a gift to still be here to hold it. Others’ stories have helped me survive and figure myself out (a forever process), and as an artist I try to honor the power of interconnectedness. Thank you to all those LGBTQIA folx who came before, who are here now, and who will be here after us. I love you. // I also want to say some gratitudes for @translifeline for the work they do around the clock to support our community. Call them if you need them, send them all your dollars, and tell everyone you know about the work they do. // Image description: D. in their home art studio, standing in front of a tall metal shelf filled with yarn and art supplies. D. is wearing a floral wool sweater-jacket, glasses, and short hair. They are smiling and holding their first book in one arm while holding the shelf for support with the other. // #NationalComingOutDay #MentalHealthAwarenessDay #QueerDisabledAndPowerful #QueerArtists #NonbinaryArtists #TransArtists
BODEGA book launch on 10/5 was a beautiful, holy, electric success—Su @su_xo I hope you are feeling so proud and so loved. Moments like this remind me, on a cellular and spiritual level, why we weave words together and why it’s necessary to speak those words in community. // Image descriptions: 1. A photo collage of @su_xo @croptop_ceo @michaelpolodot01 @mkdordiggsy @sunyungshin @roygbiv5403 @junauda @davidlawrencegrant holding their poems and reading into the mic in front of a crowd; 2. Group portrait of all the above plus D. all smiling in front of a brick background 📷 by @jenniferbowenhicks ; 3. Photo of the book display table holding books by Su, D., Lisa, Sun Yung, and Junauda. // #BodegaBook #MinneapolisPoets #BookLaunch #PoetsForever
My tiny dog friend Bertha and I are so excited for the release of Bodega, a phenomenal first book of poems by @su_xo out from @milkweed_books with beautiful cover design by @mspeaker — Su is a creative force of nature, a powerhouse of empathy and insight, and a gift to all of the community ecosystems she’s connected to. I’m so lucky to know you, friend, and to have witnessed the emergence of Bodega over the last several years. To all: go order this moving, vital, transformative book from your local bookstore/library, and if you’re in the Twin Cities this weekend I hope you’ll join us for the book launch at Open Book’s Target Performance Hall on Saturday, 10/5, at 3 pm. Su will read from Bodega, accompanied by mostly! new! work! from @croptop_ceo @mkdordiggsy @michaelpolodot01 @davidlawrencegrant @junauda @roygbiv5403 @sunyungshin and yours truly. // Image description: Selfie of D. wearing glasses and black ballcap, holding an advance copy of Su Hwang’s book Bodega, with a tiny dark brown chihuahua zipped into their hoodie. // #BodegaBook #SuHwang #MinneapolisPoets #PoetryReading #FirstBook #BookLaunch #SupportLocalPoets #DogsOfInstagram
A BONY FRAMEWORK FOR THE TIRED UNIVERSE and I are reading this Friday evening, 9/27, 7 pm at @subtextbooks in St. Paul, with Iris McCloughan @immcclou + Sagirah Shahid + Timothy Otte @timothyotte and I’ll have a few copies of the book for sale. I haven’t done many public readings in the past few months for health/body care reasons, so I’m really looking forward to this! Find more details through the FB event page (under Subtext’s events tab). // Also, if you haven’t gotten a copy of A BONY FRAMEWORK yet, you can order yours from @the_operating_system through the link in my bio, or request a copy at your favorite bookstore or library. I’d love to hear what you think. // Image is a color photo of D.’s first book lying on a blue floral sheet striped with sunlight. The pages are held open by two Lake Superior stones, to a prose poem and photograph from the “feather” section. The bluebird tail feather mentioned in this poem lies over the text. // QueerPoets #NonbinaryPoets #DisabilityPoetics #EmbodimentPoetics #ABonyFrameworkForTheTangibleUniverse #TheOperatingSystem
