Xandra Ibarra


2020
Fellowship.
I use performance, video and sculpture to address abjection and joy and the borders between proper and improper racial, gender and queer subjects. I draw inspiration from sexual subcultures to humorously and defiantly reimagine the aesthetic and affective dimensions of racial difference. I create sculpture out of casts & use a range of found and personal materials, from gypsum casts and nipple tassels made of horsehair to fur coats and hand-tooled leather. Through improvisatory material play, I bring parts together to open up sites of pleasure even as I consider the conditions that constrain racialized subjects’ everyday lives.

Tapatio Cock2004, Xandra Ibarra Leather, rhinestones, glass bottles, hot sauce, spit, custom label, wood, steel hardware. Courtesy of the artist.

Lady Parts2019, Xandra Ibarra Trailer fender, hair, rhinestones, thimbles, and nipple rings. Courtesy of the artist.

Strobelite Honeys2019, Xandra Ibarra Polymer gypsum, resin, fur coats, hair, anti-theft device, stool, steel hardware, jewelry, chain, rubber mat, smoked cigarettes. Courtesy of the artist.