jacoby zel portland, or
Portraits of Queer People as Portals of Possibility
Artist Statement





Artist Description:Portraits of Queer People as Portals of Possibility
Artist Statement all starts with the gaze.
I believe that during the process of meeting a person halfway, through eye contact, there is a mutual curiosity and invitation to explore a greater sense of who we are in relation to each other and ourselves. As opposed to framing queer bodies in a moment, I wanted the queer bodies to be the frame for their own quintessence to explore the infinity that is within form, the vitality in a vessel, the flowers in a vase.
I use collage as a medium to recontextualize my reality into one that streamlines my experience navigating both the human condition and my own queer identity. It’s through this process that I am able to illustrate how fragmented pieces, when brought together, can invoke a sense of wholeness by displaying how a singular energy can be fluid in the way it is embodied and nuanced between multiple people, places, and things.
Similar to a dream, I implore the viewer to question whether individual moments within the pieces are occupied by meaning, or void of it as they unfold. In illustrating illusions, I would like to impart a coalesced sense of both confusion and wonder, akin to my own journey of self discovery, reaching for resonance internally and externally.
Each portrait is an opportunity to understand me, the people within it, and yourself.