ARTIST/CURATORIAL STATEMENT

I like to describe myself as a “polymath;” I take a transdisciplinary approach in my work towards Black Liberation. I believe that (meaningful) art must generate movement, and that my productions, specifically (which encompass archival collection, analog-to-digital media manipulation and the written word), should move audiences towards life and a Dream/”Heaven” beyond social platitudes. We stand at an important nexus point in our nation’s history as groups seek to erase Black folks; and that is why I believe that the tenets of my practice surround the proliferation of history. While I believe that archiving is an important piece to that work, it is no more than a piece. In my work, this has meant creating innovative co-ownership models with donors to my current Black queer archive, {B/qKC}, essaying around subjugation of Black queers through ephemeral evidence, and further exploring history through memory work and exhibition of archival material intentionally outside the archive. All of this amalgamated, my work challenges audiences to consider what will, then, be our future, is it “Heaven,” and will this Heaven prop Gates who actively educate, challenge, storytell, pay homage, repair, destroy, and build anew?