October 5 through November 30, 2019
Opening Reception: Saturday, October 5, 7-10 pm
Bermudez Projects | DTLA
Bermudez Projects is proud to present Wilfredo Santana Magic Queerdoms: Drag Deities, the artist’s debut solo exhibit at our DTLA space.
In Magic Queerdoms, Santana channels the transformative (and healing) power of the Drag Queen while simultaneously articulating their otherworldly qualities through his mixed media painted collages bestowed – or perhaps consecrated – with marble dust and gold upon portraits and full representations of his mystically ethereal modern-day goddesses.
“[This] series [I] conceived from my fascination with Drag and the physical nature of the divine status,” states Santana. “[These] Deities are a representation of the ancestral spirits that guide me; the angels that protect; and the saints that were passed on to me as a gift.”
In developing this series of ten artworks, Santana was inspired by Greek, Egyptian, and Judeo-Christian symbolism – some known, like the angel or the Sphinx; others not as common, like Wadjet or Nyx.
“Nyx was the goddess of the night,” continues Santana. “One of the primordial gods, [she] emerged at the dawn of creation. This piece represents balance and power. And, Wadjet was said to be the protector of Lower Egypt. This represents the discovery of my heritage and all its protections.”
Santana has developed a distinct visual language with his works: roughhewn, gritty, and incongruous, much like the Drag Queen herself whose very essence is the guiding force for each and everyone of these characters. The blurring of masculine and feminine energies combined with exaggerated physical attributes are both mesmerizing and daunting. And, with meticulous attention, the artist treats each artwork as more than a painting; they’re more than sculpture. These works of art serve as 21st century talismans or Ex-voto.
“My goal is to make pieces that expose the seams – the scars that make you unique – while integrating a range of materials and experimenting with techniques to create compelling new works,” concludes Santana. “And, just like my work, [these] entities [whom] I’ve seen since I was a child take on many mysterious hybrid forms – breaking with the queering notions of gender and each one derived from [a] documented, spiritual origin.”
Wilfredo Santana (b. 1982) is a queer mixed media collage painter. Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he moved to the United States in 2011. He attended an all-arts high school called Escuela Central de Artes Visuales y Escuela de Artes Plasticas. Santana currently lives and works in West Oakland, California.
