9/23/2019 - 11/17/2019
Art & You 2019: Antonius-Tín Bui and Cupid Ojala
Since 2009, Art & You (formerly known as the Mosaic Project) has been committed to exhibiting two artists who are selected for their commitment to creating high-quality artwork that explores themes of individual and cultural identity. This year’s artists, Antonius-Tín Bui and Cupid Ojala, expand the boundaries of portraiture by applying innovative methods to otherwise traditional mediums. Both artists choose to create work that is reflective of their identities that also aims to elevate the representation of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community.
Antonius is a queer, gender-nonbinary (their pronouns are “they, their, them”), Vietnamese-American artist who earned their BFA from MICA. Their work ranges from meticulous cut-paper installations, hand-cut paper portraits, wearable art, and performances. Antonius uses hand-cut paper methods, that are traditional to their Vietnamese culture, to create portraits of queer people of color, with an entire series focusing on Asian American Pacific Islanders who identify as queer.
Cupid Ojala earned his MFA at Parsons The New School for Design after he received his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. His performances and 2D work bring your attention to some of the most personal aspects of LGBTQ culture, such as hair, desire, and the concept of transformation. Using only ink and paper, Cupid meticulously captures the likeness of his subjects using only their hair patterns: eyebrows, eyelashes, beards, and five o’clock shadows all lends themselves to create surprisingly revealing portraits.
The intricate delicacy with which both Cupid and Antonius approach their work is an apt analogy for the incredibly poignant content of their work. Art & You 2019 aims to provide a platform for discussion around LGBTQ culture and gender identity for both PCA&D and Lancaster.
Art & You 2019 is open Mondays through Fridays, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays, noon to 5 p.m. through November 17, 2019. The exhibit is free and open to the public.
On First Friday, October 4, the public is invited to attend a 12 p.m. artist’s Gallery Lecture with Antonius-Tín Bui in the PCA&D Atrium. A First Friday Reception with the artist will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m on October 4 and is also open to the public.
On First Friday, November 1, the public is invited to attend a 12 p.m. artist’s Gallery Lecture with Cupid Ojala in the PCA&D Atrium. A First Friday Reception with the artist will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m on November 1 and is also open to the public.