My first (solo) art show, In These Times, is opening on Friday September 9th, at LA Art Core in Little Tokyo.
For the last year I’ve been an artist in residence with Level Ground Los Angeles, an award-winning artist collective and production incubator run by Black, Brown and Queer artists in Los Angeles.
But, when I applied to be a resident I didn’t have a visionary idea for an art show. In fact, I was just asking for help.
In 2020 I was experiencing peak burn out. While work slowed for some during the pandemic, I was a part of a team running rapid response campaigns. This meant we were working 4x as much to respond to the COVID-19 crisis, resource our communities to support the 2020 Uprisings for Black Lives, and mobilize our members towards the upcoming election. I was neglecting myself by overworking. I was tired, but I didn’t know any other way to operate. The Artist Way was reccomended to me as a tool for healing creative injury. Skeptical at first, I eventually tried it and it pushed me to apply for this artist residency in 2021.
It’s now a year later, and my first art show opens in one week.
For a while I felt anxious, like this needed to be the best work I've ever done. I was afraid that this might be the last time I’d have this much community support, encouragement, and access to resources. But 6 months into the program all that self imposed pressure wasn’t making me a better artist. It was making me miserable. I know that perfectionism is just another form of white supremacy, but I still struggled to shake the habit.
I’ve been an artist since I was three. But somewhere between 3 and 30, becoming a professional “creative” and managing adulthood, making art started to hurt. Level Ground believes that queer/trans artists, artists of color, and Black artists are inherently worthy of resources, support, and encouragement. This last year with Level Ground gave me what I really needed to build a sustainable creative practice: a community who believed in me when I couldn’t.
This residency has been a lesson in giving myself permission to show up for myself, even when I am not being of service or striving for perfection. I am so grateful to Level Ground, my friends, and family who have helped me figure out how to put this show together.
In These Times opens September 9th at LA ArtCore, is available for viewing all week, and closes with a party on September 17th.
I hope to see you there.
with love,
Bianca
Welcome to my third substack.
Here are some things that are helping me figure my shit out.
I’m celebrating: my first gallery opening!
I’m obsessed with: TopTex, and the Amo working here gave me a deal on vinyl fabrics.
What I’m listening to right now as I write this : Spotify Lo-Fi Beats (the only thing I can listen to when Im over stimulated)
I tried psychedelic assisted therapy last weekend. It was probably the most immediately effective and deeply healing thing I’ve done to treat CPTSD / Depression etc. I was able to get this session funded and when I can afford it I’ll do it again. My therapist works to make it accessible to QTPOC, so if you’re interested here’s the info. Tell her I sent you.
"'Ayni,' the Quechua term for reciprocity, refers to a society existing in a constant state of flux, perpetually reordering and correcting for the dynamic imbalance of every living moment in pursuit of collective well-being”.
Integrate and Daydream MD participates in the Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative, a portion of the proceeds from Group Offerings go to the Chacruna Institutes Indigenous Reciprocity Initiative.
Back in June I announced that I was one of six writers who were selected by an international jury to write for Disegno x Het Nieuwe Instituut’s 2022 Design Drafts programme. Well, I did it! The piece will be published in Disegno’s next issue #34 and will be available in print and digital September 19th.
I am especially grateful to Oli Stratford for his excellent technical editing, and Nanjala Nyabola for her invaluable feedback and encouragement. I am open to and looking forward to writing more in 2023.
Ok so you know that I'm having an art show, but I’m also having a PARTY. Please come see me September 17th at LA Art Core in Little Tokyo. The folks over at Kikori Whiskey have set us up with free whiskey and yuzu liquor cocktails, Terrell will be DJ’ing, and I will be considerably less stressed than I was at the start of the week.
If you’ve got some cash to spare, consider donating a little to me as we begin install this Monday. Extra cash will help me with costs like the wall vinyl for the show, paying Terrell to DJ the closing party and Yun for catering the opening.
You can venmo a note of encouragement to me at @Bianca-NozakiNasser
with love, until next time.
Bianca