IG: @chygummybear chyennerielly.com

Lineage and Delusion; Justifying Existence Through Self-Portraits of the Traumatized Femme

Controlling the depiction of my body is an affirmation of my agency over it. For me, the illusionistic act of painting mimics both the performativity and actualization of gender identity where each maneuver or display is of utmost importance. I paint self-portraits that explore the themes of objectification and mental illness by recontextualizing popular imagery from art history into more fantastical expressions of my lived experience.

Reinterpreting my tainted relationship with reality into already celebrated artistic motifs help justify my existence by allowing me to insert myself into a lineage and celebrate a body where I struggle to belong. Through adopting the imagery of martyrdom, deification, and aggressive vulnerability I aim to scrutinize all binary-based power dynamics or discrimination that have been proliferated through the guise of fine art over time.

Bio

Hailing from rural Vermont, Chyenne Rielly is accustomed to glamorizing the obscene things found in the deep dark woods. Chyenne’s emotive artwork invites you to embrace both the imagination of your childhood and the adult forbidden, all while acknowledging the brutal nature of surviving the mundane.

Their illustrative paintings often explore the themes of mental health and queer identity through whimsy, self-portraiture, and satire. By channeling Mannerist artworks Chyenne seeks to recontextualize the voice of modern portraiture. When not fantasizing about riding a magic cow through spacetime, you can probably find Chyenne eternally cleaning the oil-paint off of their brushes.