My work delves specifically into the disruption caused by black queer bodies, their sexuality, and their fullness when it comes to challenging the institutions in which they are forced to reside. The afro-latine experience combined with the ideas of respectability politics, craftsmanship and therefore value, have forced the structures I create to be a direct reflection of the space in which it’s viewed. It is meticulously polished, providing the metaphorical institutional framework, while key details give way to a more complex narrative that is blackness and queerness.
Initially drawn to sex as a means of asserting my identity as a Queer and Trans body, I confront the existing disconnect between external perception and personal reality. As we navigate the 21st century, the politicization of transgender bodies necessitates a deliberate effort to illustrate them authentically, steering away from misrepresentations. The crucial focus shifts from violence and its architectural structures, predominantly associated with cis men, to the essence of the body and the disruption itself. A body penetrated by the weight of history, culture, and, most significantly, joy. It stands resilient in its choice to be a ‘glitch’ as Legacy Russel.