A collage of cut printed paper and ink that depicts the outline of a man at its centre. An oversized heart is pasted onto the man’s chest, while his feet are depicted as roots. Behind the man is an infinity symbol, with the left loop containing a heart, the letter Q, and a turtle. The right loop contains the letter K, as well as a heart and turtle. Beneath the right loop are written the words “Perfectly Imperfect”. Silhouettes of animals, religious symbols, as well as dashes of colour and representations of the four elements are arrayed around the man.


Artist’s Statement:

I have a difficulty defining the word masculinity. For me, I feel more in touch with just being a human. I refer to myself more as like gender fluid or non-binary. I guess one could say I feel, half man, half woman. I have a feminine side, with quotation marks, because still I don’t know how to define that, and a masculine side, with quotation marks, because I don’t know how to define that. For me, talking about my feelings, which might be considered more of a feminine attribute, makes me feel more complete of a human. When striving to be more vulnerable and talk about my feelings, one might say that makes me more of a man. “I should reach out right now. It’s okay to need a hand. I’m not weak because I need to call my stepmother”, whom I talk to almost every single day!

Bio:

I’m a thirty five year artist from Guelph, Ontario. I’m familiar with the struggles linked to mental health, addiction, homelessness and trauma. I’ve always done art and art has a long history in my family.

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