2023

rhinestones, beads, cempasúchill, lavender, string, sequins, glitter, a drop of blood, sweat, a single tear, candles, palo santo, wooden table, wooden panels, air-dry clay, wax, mirror tiles, offering bowls, disco balls, paint, photographs, cinnamon, paper, pens, chains, Florida Water, colonia abre camino, ink, assorted crystals, Félix González-Torres' candy, candle stick holders, frankincense, a prayer, crocheted textile, woven textile, my family’s blanket, yarn, items collected from friends, family, loved ones, mentors, saint statue, Venezuela bracelet, evil eye bracelet, frankincense, matches, two identical black framed clocks

My First Funeral (hopefully not my last) is a multi-media installation exploring the ownership over death rites, specifically my own, as a Queer and Trans person (which has historically not been a privilege that this community has held). The installation consists of a death blanket, a table with my will, and a table for eulogies. The tables have participatory elements, such as writing eulogies and signing as a witness of the will. 

The piece ends with a performance, which consists of a group reading of the will, a reading of the eulogies, and a Drag performance. This piece is me grappling with the finiteness of death as a Trans person of color (whose life expectancy is 35) and exploring Queer mourning rituals that were birthed at the start of the AIDS crisis along with my own ancestral traditions.

Thank you to Martin Seck and Parisa Mah for the photographs.