Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 24th 6p-9p
ArtUs Co presents, BINARY (An Exploration of the In-Between), a solo exhibition by Alexis Hunter. Hunter is exploring the liminal space between cultures by featuring a combination of 2D and 3D works that provide an intimate look into the insecurities of an outsider. Utilizing materials like spray foam, resin, charcoal, and oil paint, the artist includes two life sized soft sculptures of the abstract figures from her 2D works, paintings, and a relief sculpture. Biracial people are often fetishized and looked at as erotic sources of exoticism. Historically, biracial children have been regarded as abominations. Interracial marriage was not made fully legal in the United States until 1967 (Loving v. Virginia). In truth, biracial children often grow up feeling isolated, embarrassed, and excluded. There’s a popular saying: “Too black for the white kids. Too white for the black kids.” According to the Maslow hierarchy of needs, belonging is a base level of psychological need. Using social psychology concepts like in-group vs. out-group effects and the basic human psychology of Othering, BINARY (An Exploration of the In-Between) challenges the dominant narratives and stereotypes that dictate the biracial social experience.
About The Artist
Alexis Hunter (@m00n_daddy) was born in Seattle, Washington in 1992. She is a multidisciplinary artist, graduating in 2022 with a BFA in Studio Art from Texas State University. Her minor is in African American Studies. She currently lives and works in Austin, Texas.
Hunter’s studio practice uses drawing, sculpture, painting, and performance as a means to explore the classification of Other. Alexis is well acquainted with the role of the Other due to her biracial background. She has checked the “other” box when classifying her race her entire life. Her work highlights the threshold between Black and white cultures she exists in. To have each work be an authentic expression of herself, Alexis incorporates personal materials and instruments, like her hair, in her paintings and drawings. She employs abstract figuration in typical social scenes to further communicate feelings of tension and unfamiliarity, providing an intimate look into her insecurities as an outsider. Through this vulnerability, Alexis can better understand herself and her identity.
