Artists explore the meaning of home through the lens of queer and trans domesticity in New York
Group exhibition ‘Dreaming of Home’, at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, uses a seminal Catherine Opie photograph as a springboard to explore the meaning of home today
![painting of man on bed reading to children, from New York exhibition exploring the meaning of home](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KVWnW4PJaMHfTADgB5rBo3-415-80.jpg)
What is home – a concept, a physical space, a person, a feeling? It is a question preoccupying artists in New York, who consider the meaning of home through the lens of queer and trans domesticity in a new group exhibition ‘Dreaming of Home’ at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art.
The show takes Catherine Opie’s seminal 1993 photograph Self-Portrait/Cutting (below) as its central reference, marking its 30th anniversary in an exploration of the ways artists are carving out space for themselves. ‘Home can mean so many things – stability and safety, domesticity, family, connection with others, with yourself,’ says curator Gemma Rolls-Bentley. ‘Catherine Opie's artwork, which sparked the idea for the exhibition, depicts a pretty traditional view of “home”. The image of a house cut into her back is drawn in a childlike manner, suggesting that “home” is something we are all seeking and aspiring to but society's expected version of “home” can be very limited. For queer people, the dream of home can be painful, hardwon and […] can challenge society's expectations of what home should mean or look like.’
‘Dreaming of Home’ at at Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art
Catherine Opie, Self-Portrait/Cutting, 1993
Artists including Clifford Prince King, Jenna Gribbon, Sola Olulode, Cajsa von Zeipel, Nicole Eisenman, Christina Quarles, Shadi Al-Atallah, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Chiffon Thomas, Rene Matić and Leilah Babiyre explore the contrast between the safety of home and the unpredictability of the outside world in a juxtaposition of media and forms.
‘I selected the artists based on the various perspectives they bring to the idea of home,’ Rolls-Bentley adds. ‘Whether their work is about self, family, migration, domesticity, it all comes together to offer a thoughtful and hopeful exploration of queer home and belonging.’
Installation view, ‘Dreaming of Home’ 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024
Photographs and videos from Whiskey Chow and Charmaine Poh uncover the human rights restrictions facing LGBTQIA+ people, while a raw palpability is expressed in Ro Robertson and Sarah Francis’ sculptures, which compare the narrative between queer bodies and the sustaining nature of the land. For Kudzanai-Violet Hwami and Chiffon Thomas, the skewed perceptions of childhood offer an insight into the limitations of memory on experience.
Laurence Philomene, COA, 2022. Installation view, ‘Dreaming of Home’ 7 September 2023 – 7 January 2024
‘The artists in “Dreaming of Home” magnificently reflect and respond to what every human fundamentally desires and needs for their wellbeing – to belong, to be loved, and to feel safe,’ says executive director of Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, Alyssa Nitchun. ‘The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art has been a home and a haven for LGBTQIA + folks for more than 50 years. At a time in the world that is deeply alarming and increasingly violent for queer and trans people, “Dreaming of Home” continues our mission of radical affirmation, imagination and joy.’
Rolls-Bentley agrees: ‘I'm truly excited for visitors to feel a sense of meaningful connection, to find space to reflect on their individual experiences and shared experiences of the LGBTQIA+ community and, most of all, to experience feelings of belonging and homecoming.’
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
‘Dreaming of Home’ is at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art until 7 January 2024
Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Android Venus, 2023
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
The Mercury Prize nominees for 2024 have been revealed
Charli XCX, The Last Dinner Party and Beth Gibbons are amongst this year's nominees
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
Alexander May, founder of LA studio Sized, on the joys of creative polymathy
Creative director Alexander May tells us of the multidisciplinary approach that drives his LA studio Sized and its offspring, a 5,000 sq ft event space and an exhibition series
By Hannah Silver Published
-
50 of America’s top creatives, photographed by Inez & Vinoodh
Photographed exclusively for Wallpaper* by Inez & Vinoodh, we present a portfolio of 50 creatives driving the current discourse on American culture and its dynamic evolution
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Nona Faustine confronts the past in New York
Artist Nona Faustine reframes New York's colonial past in an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum
By Hannah Silver Published
-
How the west won: Ivan McClellan is amplifying the intrepid beauty of Black cowboy culture
In his new book, 'Eight Seconds: Black Cowboy Culture', Ivan McClellan draws us into the world of Black rodeo. Wallpaper* meets the photographer ahead of his Juneteenth Rodeo
By Tracy Kawalik Published
-
Casa Bosques’ queer-themed book curation comes to New York’s East Village
In Pride Month 2024, Casa Bosques’ pop-up bookstore in The Standard hotel, East Village, offers a stylish haven for literary mavens
By Hannah Silver Published
-
‘Very few museums were interested in my work until recently’: Amalia Mesa-Bains on her first-ever retrospective
‘Amalia Mesa-Bains: Archaeology of Memory’ is a long-overdue exhibition at El Museo del Barrio in New York celebrating five decades of the trailblazing Chicanx artist
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Frieze New York 2024: what to see in and around the city
Frieze New York 2024 (until Sunday 5 May) sees the city’s ample spring season programming celebrated at The Shed
By Osman Can Yerebakan Published
-
Calling NYC grads! Sarabande Foundation invites you to an industry masterclass to pave way into the creative world
‘What Now?’ by Sarabande Foundation is a post-college guide to support graduates in making their next steps, with advice from the likes of Burberry, Thom Browne, and more
By Tianna Williams Published