Moises Salazar | It’s My House

In the artist’s words:

“It’s My House is a celebration of survival and queer liberation. It’s a show for the kweens, like me,  that wanted dolls instead of toy guns. It’s a show for all the children that were reprimanded for  wanting something that wasn’t for boys/girls. It’s a space to reflect on the lasting effects of our  gendered upbringing and defiantly imagine our own visions of play, familial bonds, and identity. 

Using the common children’s game “playing house” as inspiration, the exhibition challenges  outdated ideals rooted in traditional family dynamics. "Playing house" is a game universally played  across different cultures and communities. It's a form of make believe where players take on the  roles of a nuclear family. Common roles include parents, children, a newborn, and pets. The game  often involves toys reflecting domestic settings such as, playhouses, kitchens, and driving. It’s My  House highlights the social pressure that we experience when we are subjugated so young with  rigid ideals of gender and familial expectation. 

It’s My House highlights how damaging it can be for queer children when we are forced into molds  by gender-based marketing. Using altered children’s toys, paintings of family photographs, and  images of provocative figures in settings of play, the exhibition honors the anguish we as queer  folks endure and celebrates the life we achieve when we overcome these hardships.” — Moises Salazar

ARTIST BIO:

Moises Salazar is a non-binary artist based in Chicago, Illinois. Salazar holds a BFA from the School  of the Art Institute of Chicago. Salazar’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at  WOAW Gallery, Salon ACME 8, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, NADA, National  Museum of Mexican Art, and the Chicago Cultural Center. They are represented by Mindy Solomon  Gallery where Salazar had their inaugural solo exhibition in August 2021. 

Salazar has been focused on conceptual and installation-based work. Salazar’s presentation Let’s  Get Physical facilitated by Filo Sofi Arts was included in HEARSAY:HERESY’s Spring Break Art Show  to much critical acclaim. In Gracias a la Vida, Salazar created a chapel to queer ancestry at Red  Arrow Gallery. Most recently Salazar’s project Santuario, a large-scale altar, was presented at Skin  in the Game, Chicago edition, curated by Zoe Lukov. A Finalist of The QUEER ART PRIZE, Salazar’s  work has been featured in publications such as The Hispanic Executive, artnet, HYPERALLERGIC, and  THE LATINX PROJECT. Salazar has participated in the The Hyde Park Art Center Residency and is a  recipient of LuminArts Foundation Arts Fellowship, and 3Arts Make a Wave Grant. 

HAIR+NAILS has presented Moises Salazar in group shows FUTURE FUTURE (2020), RIGHT NOW  (2020-1), The Human Scale (at Rochester Art Center, 2021) and in the solo show Ni De Aquí, Ni De  Allá/Neither From Here Nor From There (2020). HAIR+NAILS will present Salazar along with  Cameron Downey and Rachel Collier at NADA Miami 2022 this winter. 

www.moisessalazar.com  

Gallery Hours

Thursdays/Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays 1:00- 5:00 starting November 6. Also, appointments can be scheduled 7 days/week via  hairandnailsart@gmail.com

Image: MOISES SALAZAR, Shut Up and Drive (2022) glitter, acrylic, fabric on canvas,  yarn. 41”x 53”