Statement Profile GlogauAIR Project CV Summary

Statement

My experience of metamorphosis as a transgender person permeates my practice, and so my sculptures act as a tangible story of transformation. I stitch together my queer identity with “women’s work” by combining the figure, self-portraiture, and wearables through the use of textiles and beadwork. By reimagining some of my favorite childhood characters and toys, I utilize a playful nostalgia while traversing my sexuality and gender. Treating myself as both subject and armature, I alleviate the tension between my body, psyche, and desires.

Profile

GlogauAIR Project

How do we harmonize the visible and repressed facets of our identities?

With a focus on gender performativity, I will investigate this question by creating masks that illustrate the coexistence of the feminine and masculine in nature. The protective facade of a mask reveals the duplicity of self-presentation; by being given an opportunity of anonymity, the wearer can be empowered to experience uninhibited self-expression.

Connecting with the Berlin LGBTQ+ community will deepen the context of my work by allowing me to explore both historical and contemporary narratives of queer people who inherently challenge gendered societal expectations. Through interviews and research, I will select animals and insects associated with gendered attributes and unify their qualities by stitching together wearable amalgamated forms.

CV Summary

Weiss received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture with high distinction from California College of the Arts in 2019. He was a third-place recipient of the ArtistGrant.org Grant and received the Diversity Scholarship, Craft Forward Scholarship, and All College Honors. Weiss had work in Dab Art’s juried quarterly arts publication and online exhibition, “STORIES”, which focused on the experiences of LGBTQ+ people. Anna Dempsey selected his video performance for a group exhibition, “SHAME”, at Hera Gallery, Wakefield, RI. Weiss has participated in several group exhibitions and had a solo exhibition, “Bare All”, at Oliver Art Center, Oakland, CA.