We write to invite you to INERTIA • c a t h a r s i s an exploration of grief, trauma and the journey toward healing and catharsis through the varied artistic lenses of Alexandra Alvarez, Amy Smith, Android Oi, AWAKE, CAVIER, Chris RWK, Greg Garay, individualactivist, Julio Mejia, Kar_Part, Kay Hickman, Laura Anne Brooks, LeCrue Eyebrows, Melissa Schainker, MOR, Not Sik, Savior Elmundo and t0a5t.
Queen of Hearts Global founder and INERTIA • c a t h a r s i s curator, Rachael N. Clark says “This is my most personal curation to date. The title was carefully designed to articulate the emotional journey at the heart of the show’s theme. INERTIA in capital letters because grief and trauma overwhelm all of our other instincts, rendering us powerless to move. When the healing process—the purification of the trauma—finally begins, it is not quick; c a t h a r s i s usually manifests slowly and in subtle ways. Artists’ greatest gift to the world is their ability to convey complex emotions through their mediums; I am grateful to these artists for bringing this intensely painful journey to life.”
The diverse group of creatives invited to participate in INERTIA • c a t h a r s i s are based in Los Angeles, Atlanta, New York and Portland, and includes artists whose work appear at cultural institutions like the World Trade Center and Christie’s, in world class publications including TIME and Vogue, and seen as backdrops on popular television and film sets including “And Just Like That…,”“Dear White People,” and “Insecure.” The artists have exhibited in galleries worldwide including: 212 Arts in New York, A. Hurd Gallery in Albuquerque, Ann Connelly Fine Art Gallery in Baton Rouge, Avant Gallery in New York, Black Box Gallery in Portland, The Holy Art in London, Mètis Gallery in Bali, as well as renowned Permanent Collections, including the Latino Art Museum, California and the Tubman African-American Museum, Georgia. Since 2018, Queen of Hearts Global has produced Clark’s unique style of thematic curatorial projects internationally and across the United States. INERTIA • c a t h a r s i s will show at One Art Space in New York April 21-26, 2022, and at Portland’s Brassworks Gallery May 7-29, 2022.
Queen of Hearts will be donating proceeds from voluntary ticket sales via Eventbrite to Creative Art Works, a 501(c)(3) organization empowering young people through arts programming that incorporates academic enrichment, creative expression, workforce development and community engagement. Creative Art Works’ mission “is to improve the lives of under-resourced New York City youth through the arts. We serve thousands of young people each year, through in-school and out-of-school-time classes, community art-making events, and youth employment creating large-scale public art.”
