ARTIST STATEMENT
In March, 2025, I was at a conference while witnessing the closing of the Department of Education with colleagues. We watched in horror as another plethora of Executive Orders were announced by the Trump administration. Back in my hotel room, I watched the documentary entitled I am not your negro and reflected on the cyclical nature of our history. We take two steps forward only to be pushed one step back, or perhaps we take one step forward only to be pushed two steps back.
This body of work was created in response. It was a response of anger and frustration. I felt dumbfounded by colleges and universities submitting to the Dear Colleague letter. A colleague, Dr. Tai Edwards, Professor of History, stated the obvious as she explained to our administration, “executive orders are not laws.” Unfortunately, they were punishable by the removal of funding, a punishment our students would suffer should we defy orders.
This body of work is intended to serve as a battle cry of sorts, or at least, a reminder to fight. While institutions may be backed into corners, as individuals we must continue in resistance.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tonia Hughes is a socio-politically driven visual artist working in the influential mediums of photography, mixed media, video, and installation. Her work has been shown in international, national, and regional calls for work and exhibitions such as: Harvest Works Digital Media Art Gallery (New York, New York), Wiregrass Museum of Art (Dothan, Alabama), Murmur Gallery at Eyedrum (Atlanta, Georgia), The Bedford Gallery (Walnut Creek, California), Project Gallery (Long Island, New York), Open House Gallery (Kansas City, Missouri), and Woman Made Gallery (Chicago, Illinois). The majority of her work is rooted in political, feminist, and queer theory discourse, and explores a broad range of topics and academic research. In addition to her creative work, Hughes continues her research in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. As an extension of her teaching, she has been the Director of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Georgia Southwestern State University. Hughes has presented on public discussion panels and at academic conferences on topics relating to the Queer community and human rights such as: Doing the body in the 21st Century at The University of Pittsburg (Pittsburg, Pennsylvania), and The 23rd Annual Research Symposium “Feminist Research Across Disciplines” at The University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia). And her Homogenized photography series and video have been exhibited at Women’s, Sexuality, and Gender Studies conferences in addition to Fine Art galleries.
© Tonia Indigo Hughes