Velvet Rage

Abstract

My work represents my latest journey of self-healing as a Deaf Queer individual. The beautiful monster you see in the painting is actually a “self-portrait” of my inner queer rage. My rage is a result of the shame I've first experienced when I was a little boy. I was little and I did not understand why there many older people who would get angry at me for no reason...for the reason which I, later on, learned that it was because of my femininity which I thought was natural. From there, my mental and emotional issues started to snowball until just recently. I was recommended to read a book titled Velvet Rage (the inspiration for my painting) which eventually led me to do more self-healing work. Letting go of the rage out of my system and display it in some gallery for the world to see. I wanted to inspire others to let go of their inner pains by going face to face with our own inner rage. This is such a complex issue worth liberating from.

Creator

They/Them/Theirs/He/Him/His

Title

Velvet Rage

Date

2018

Medium

Acrylic

Description

12 inches by 12 inches painting canvas. There is a light blue background appears of a lavender-colored head with a smile of gold teeth. The subject is a scary-looking, high-cheeked face is made-up with metallic tropical colors (orange, yellow, pink) showing a sharp-lined eyebrows and cat eyes. There are scales and green dots down the nose. The eyes are red and snake-like. On its forehead, there is a see-through view to its brain filled of chaotic orange, green, and gold colored whirls which represents the neurotoxins being created and released which provokes the inner rage.

Citation

Tommy Korn and They/Them/Theirs/He/Him/His, “Velvet Rage,” RIT/NTID Dyer Arts Center , accessed March 28, 2024, https://dyerartscenter.omeka.net/items/show/104.