PRESS ON

"I remember the red nail polish I saw at the drug store near my house. I was in line waiting to make my purchase, and the small bottle caught my eye. Instinctually, I put it in my pocket. Then I went home. No need investing in something I might never use. Or so I thought. I toyed with it for a while before I opened it. I chose my pointer finger and laid the first stroke of bright red. I felt my chest open and took a gentle breath. I was able to paint four fingers excluding my thumb. Having my whole hand done felt as if I would paint over my maleness. Over time, the ritual of applying paint to nail helped me shed layers of false identity and recolor who I truly am: a womyn."

Join us at Chinatown Soup for an exhibition of soft sculpture, painting, and collage that explores queer identity through the hands of Moody Rose Christopher. Our front gallery is transformed into a futuristic dreamscape from an 80’s film set, featuring neon and plant sculptures that surround manicure stations made with watermelon-inspired tabling and stools for visitors to engage with the art of self-adornment.

Queer identity challenges the social roles and rituals of men and women to reveal the spectrum of gender. Regardless of our gender or lack thereof, painting one’s nails triggers social assumptions. The artist creates a space for us to discuss these phenomena in a vibrant, light-hearted atmosphere that embeds queer culture as a natural facet of American life.