KinShip | Chris Cinque and Sharon Jaffe

The original intention behind these drawings was (and continues to be!) to celebrate Chris’s friends and Queer family. These fraught times in which we find ourselves, however, where white christians attempt to erase all but those who fit their worldview makes this body of work an important part of resisting the narrowness and cruelty of the far-right agenda. Most importantly, this work showcases people who matter both to Chris and to our larger communities. Each drawing includes two aspects of the featured subject: a fully realized charcoal drawing surrounded by a colorful collage, as well as a simple red conte crayon line drawing.

This exhibit also includes abstract ceramics by Sharon Jaffe, a radical lesbian feminist Jewish activist intent on replacing the white supremacist, patriarchal, imperialist empire (to paraphrase bell hooks) with lots of art, good food, organizing for collective liberation, and multiple intergenerational friendships.

As Frances, my mom, and then Caroljean, my deep heart kin, died in spring/summer 2022, I took up clay play - particularly handbuilding. I love the lines, curves, carvings of ancient and contemporary women, mostly; vessels that speak animistically of the female body & of woman-centered perspectives; narratives that reflect on grief whether personal or political; and sacred longings for kin grounded in mutual aid, generative & sustainable practices. Thanks to the Powderhorn Clay Studio, Northern Clay Center, and the UMN ceramics communities.

Gallery Hours:
Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays 12-6pm