ARTIST STATEMENT
Finding the ways elements and plants create the space to expand work, may we all feel belonging in the world and empowerment to enjoy our favorite places in which we move. Bodies move differently with each day and I explore the methods available to me through the lens of disability. I work with natural dyes, found objects, plants, and many other mediums to create a piece as I am able each day. The force of utilizing motor skills or the lack thereof dictates the scale of each work; I am truly working with what I’m given.
Language is of particular interest as subject matter. I create new symbols the way one might create a new mythology. As someone whose language often fails them, it is obvious to include the work-arounds in my work. The sentences invite the viewer to re-imagine what it means to speak and be heard, when to be still and listen. The way we perceive others and the way we perceive ourselves may change at any time.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Harper Hazelmare (she/they + we/our/ours) is a non-binary, queer botanical artist, writer of cautionary tales, and keeper of a community apothecary. She has been published in Lived Collective and The Shallot magazines, and also Cult.ur.Able and Woman Made Gallery exhibitions. When not loving the color yellow, they are most often experimenting in their home studio with found objects or growing black peppermint for Herbalists Without Borders. Her work has previously been shown in Chicago (IL), Madison (WI), and New York (NY) in the United States.
© Harper Hazelmare