12.2 Queer art and decolonization

Queer art challenges colonial narratives by centering marginalized perspectives and subverting Eurocentric assumptions. Artists use strategies like appropriation and parody to reclaim histories and representations, disrupting traditional power structures in art production and interpretation.

Decolonizing methodologies in queer art prioritize voices from colonized backgrounds and challenge Western art norms. Indigenous, Black, Latinx, and Asian queer artists explore complex intersections of identity, celebrating resilience while confronting ongoing oppression and erasure.

Queer art challenging colonial narratives

• Queer art plays a crucial role in disrupting and subverting colonial narratives that have historically marginalized and erased queer identities and experiences
• By centering queer perspectives and stories, queer art challenges the heteronormative and Eurocentric assumptions that underpin colonial ideologies
• Queer artists employ various strategies, such as appropriation, parody, and re-imagination, to deconstruct and reclaim colonial histories and representations

Decolonizing methodologies in queer art

• Decolonizing methodologies in queer art involve critical approaches that prioritize the voices, knowledge systems, and lived experiences of queer communities, particularly those from marginalized and colonized backgrounds
• These methodologies seek to dismantle the power structures and hierarchies that have shaped the production, circulation, and interpretation of art in colonial and neocolonial contexts
• Queer artists engage in collaborative, participatory, and community-based practices that challenge the individualistic and elitist norms of the Western art world

Queer artists of color

Indigenous queer artists

Top images from around the web for Indigenous queer artists

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman | Kent Monkman, born in Sa… | Flickr View original

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  Two Spirit and Queer Indigenous Resurgence through Sci-Fi Futurisms, Doubleweaving, and ... View original

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman (close-up) | Kent Monkman,… | Flickr View original

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman | Kent Monkman, born in Sa… | Flickr View original

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  Two Spirit and Queer Indigenous Resurgence through Sci-Fi Futurisms, Doubleweaving, and ... View original

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Top images from around the web for Indigenous queer artists

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman | Kent Monkman, born in Sa… | Flickr View original

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  Two Spirit and Queer Indigenous Resurgence through Sci-Fi Futurisms, Doubleweaving, and ... View original

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman (close-up) | Kent Monkman,… | Flickr View original

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  "Trappers of Men" by Kent Monkman | Kent Monkman, born in Sa… | Flickr View original

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  Two Spirit and Queer Indigenous Resurgence through Sci-Fi Futurisms, Doubleweaving, and ... View original

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• Indigenous queer artists, such as Kent Monkman (Cree) and Demian DinéYazhi' (Diné), use their art to assert the presence and resilience of Two-Spirit and queer indigenous identities in the face of ongoing colonial violence and erasure
• Their works often draw upon traditional indigenous knowledge systems, cosmologies, and visual languages to create new narratives that center queer indigenous experiences and worldviews
• By reclaiming and reimagining indigenous histories and cultural practices, indigenous queer artists challenge the colonial gaze and assert the sovereignty and self-determination of their communities

Black queer artists

• Black queer artists, such as Mickalene Thomas and Kehinde Wiley, use their art to celebrate and affirm the beauty, diversity, and complexity of Black queer identities and experiences
• Their works often engage with the histories and legacies of slavery, colonialism, and racism, while also envisioning new possibilities for Black queer futures
• By subverting and reclaiming dominant representations of Blackness and queerness, Black queer artists challenge the intersecting oppressions of white supremacy and heteronormativity

Latinx queer artists

• Latinx queer artists, such as Julio Salgado and Xandra Ibarra, use their art to explore the complex intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and immigration in Latinx communities
• Their works often engage with the histories and experiences of colonization, diaspora, and border crossings, while also celebrating the resilience and creativity of Latinx queer cultures
• By challenging the binary and essentialist notions of identity and belonging, Latinx queer artists create new spaces for self-expression and solidarity across differences

Asian and Pacific Islander queer artists

• Asian and Pacific Islander queer artists, such as Zanele Muholi (South Africa) and Arin Rungjang (Thailand), use their art to explore the diverse and often overlooked histories and experiences of queer communities in Asia and the Pacific
• Their works often engage with the legacies of colonialism, imperialism, and globalization, while also asserting the agency and resistance of queer Asian and Pacific Islander subjects
• By challenging the exoticization and fetishization of Asian and Pacific Islander bodies and cultures, these artists create new representations that center queer Asian and Pacific Islander desires and subjectivities

Queer art in postcolonial contexts

Queer art in Africa

• Queer art in Africa, such as the works of Rotimi Fani-Kayode (Nigeria) and Zanele Muholi (South Africa), engages with the complex histories and realities of colonialism, decolonization, and postcoloniality on the continent
• These artists often challenge the dominant narratives of African sexuality and gender that have been shaped by colonial ideologies and laws, while also asserting the diversity and resilience of African queer identities and communities
• By reclaiming and reimagining African histories, mythologies, and cultural practices, queer African artists create new spaces for self-expression and solidarity in the face of ongoing violence and marginalization

Queer art in South Asia

• Queer art in South Asia, such as the works of Sunil Gupta (India) and Charan Singh (India), engages with the complex histories and realities of colonialism, nationalism, and globalization in the region
• These artists often challenge the dominant narratives of South Asian sexuality and gender that have been shaped by colonial laws and nationalist ideologies, while also asserting the diversity and fluidity of South Asian queer identities and desires
• By subverting and reclaiming South Asian cultural and religious iconographies, queer South Asian artists create new representations that center queer South Asian experiences and subjectivities

Queer art in Latin America

• Queer art in Latin America, such as the works of Nahum B. Zenil (Mexico) and Jesusa Rodríguez (Mexico), engages with the complex histories and realities of colonialism, imperialism, and neoliberalism in the region
• These artists often challenge the dominant narratives of Latin American sexuality and gender that have been shaped by Catholic morality and machismo culture, while also asserting the diversity and resistance of Latin American queer identities and communities
• By appropriating and subverting Latin American popular culture and political iconography, queer Latin American artists create new spaces for self-expression and activism in the face of ongoing violence and discrimination

Intersections of queerness and colonialism

Queer identities and colonial legacies

• Queer identities and experiences have been profoundly shaped by the histories and legacies of colonialism, which imposed Western binary and heteronormative conceptions of gender and sexuality onto colonized societies
• Colonial laws and policies, such as sodomy laws and the criminalization of same-sex relations, continue to impact queer communities in postcolonial contexts, often leading to violence, discrimination, and marginalization
• Queer art engages with these colonial legacies by reclaiming and reimagining pre-colonial and indigenous understandings of gender and sexuality, as well as by asserting the agency and resistance of queer subjects in the face of ongoing oppression

Queer art and anti-colonial resistance

• Queer art has played a significant role in anti-colonial and decolonial struggles, by challenging the heteronormative and patriarchal ideologies that have been used to justify colonial domination and exploitation
• Queer artists have often been at the forefront of social and political movements, using their art to mobilize communities, raise awareness, and demand change
• By creating new forms of representation and expression that center queer desires and subjectivities, queer art contributes to the decolonization of the imagination and the creation of alternative futures

Institutional critique by queer artists

Queer interventions in museums

• Queer artists have often used museums and galleries as sites of institutional critique, challenging the ways in which these spaces have historically excluded, marginalized, or misrepresented queer identities and experiences
• Through various strategies, such as guerrilla performances, site-specific installations, and curatorial interventions, queer artists have disrupted the heteronormative and colonial logics of museum displays and narratives
• By inserting queer bodies, desires, and histories into these spaces, queer artists have created new possibilities for representation, interpretation, and dialogue

Queer challenges to art canon

• Queer artists have also challenged the Western art historical canon, which has been shaped by heteronormative and Eurocentric assumptions about creativity, genius, and value
• By reclaiming and reinterpreting the works of queer artists from the past, as well as by creating new forms of queer art that defy conventional categories and hierarchies, queer artists have expanded the boundaries of what counts as art and who counts as an artist
• By asserting the centrality of queer desires and subjectivities in the history of art, queer artists have contributed to the decolonization of art history and the creation of more inclusive and diverse art worlds

Queer art and decolonial aesthetics

Hybridity and syncretism in queer art

• Queer art often engages with the concepts of hybridity and syncretism, which refer to the mixing and blending of different cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual traditions in the context of colonial and postcolonial encounters
• By appropriating and recombining elements from various sources, such as indigenous art forms, popular culture, and Western art history, queer artists create new forms of expression that challenge binary and essentialist notions of identity and belonging
• These hybrid and syncretic art forms reflect the complex and fluid nature of queer identities and experiences, as well as the ongoing processes of cultural exchange and transformation in the context of globalization

Queer art and indigenous knowledge systems

• Queer art often draws upon indigenous knowledge systems, which have been marginalized and suppressed by colonial and neocolonial powers
• By engaging with indigenous cosmologies, mythologies, and artistic practices, queer artists challenge the Western binary and hierarchical conceptions of gender and sexuality, as well as the separation of nature and culture, mind and body, sacred and profane
• These engagements with indigenous knowledge systems also contribute to the decolonization of art and the assertion of indigenous sovereignty and self-determination

Transnational queer art networks

Queer art exhibitions and biennales

• Queer art exhibitions and biennales, such as the Queer Zagreb Exhibition (Croatia) and the Queer Arts Festival (Canada), have played a crucial role in creating transnational networks of queer artists, curators, and activists
• These events provide platforms for the exchange of ideas, practices, and solidarities across different contexts and struggles, as well as for the visibility and recognition of queer art on a global scale
• By bringing together queer artists from different parts of the world, these exhibitions and biennales challenge the Western-centric and homonormative assumptions that often dominate the global art world, and create new possibilities for cross-cultural dialogue and collaboration

Queer art collectives and collaborations

• Queer art collectives and collaborations, such as Fierce Pussy (USA) and Las Yeguas del Apocalipsis (Chile), have been important sites of queer activism, community-building, and artistic experimentation
• These collectives often operate outside of the mainstream art world, creating alternative spaces and networks for the production, circulation, and reception of queer art
• By working collaboratively and horizontally, these collectives challenge the individualistic and competitive norms of the art market, and create new models of artistic labor and solidarity

Queer art and decolonial futures

Queer utopias and speculative art

• Queer art often engages with the concept of utopia, which refers to the imagination and creation of alternative worlds and futures beyond the limitations and oppressions of the present
• Through speculative and science fictional art forms, such as Afrofuturism and Indigenous Futurism, queer artists envision new possibilities for gender, sexuality, and social relations that challenge the colonial and heteronormative status quo
• These utopian and speculative art forms contribute to the decolonization of the imagination and the creation of new horizons of hope and desire

Queer art and social transformation

• Queer art has the potential to contribute to social and political transformation, by challenging the dominant norms and values that perpetuate oppression and inequality
• By creating new forms of representation and expression that center queer desires and subjectivities, queer art can inspire new ways of seeing, feeling, and relating to the world and to each other
• Through its engagement with decolonial and intersectional struggles, queer art can also contribute to the creation of more just and equitable futures, in which all forms of diversity and difference are celebrated and valued