The Mead is partnering with the Department of Art and the History of Art and the Queer Resource Center to host a virtual artist talk and a virtual lunch with contemporary artist Jes Fan. Jes Fan was born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong. Speculating on the intersection of biology and identity, his trans-disciplinary practice emerges from a sustained inquiry into the concept of otherness as it relates to the materiality of the gendered body.
Working primarily in expanded sculpture, Fan often incorporates organic materials - such as soybeans and depo-testosterone into larger assemblages fashioned of welded steel, poured resin, and hand-blown glass. Previous projects have focused on the bio-politics of transgender identity and the slippery nature of embodiment in an era where HRT (hormone replacement therapy) and less extreme body-modification tactics such as bodybuilding are easily accessible, allowing the subject to mold their external body to match their internal state. Fan's recent research has explored the complex and porous systems formed between biological agents (including those existing in our own body) and the surrounding environment, seeking to queer the traditional hierarchy between organic and inorganic matter. He is currently based in Brooklyn, New York.
All are invited to attend a virtual artist talk with Jes Fan, facilitated by Niko Vicario Assistant Professor of Art and the History of Art. The talk will be followed by a Q&A with the audience. Free & open to all!
This program will take place via Zoom.