This piece Modern Callisto, tackels the issue of the oversexualization of queer people within modern society through use of greek mythology. The tale of Callisto is one of great sorrow; in it Callisto is tricked by zeus who impersonates Artemis in order to sleep with her and becomes pregnant with his child. She was eventually cursed to assume the form of a bear. I have depicted Callisto in a way that I hope both conveys the abuse disrespect and oversexualization of queer people, especially those who are fem-presenting, through the use of her bodylanguage the sidewalk and the legs of the walkers.

I have included more subtle references as well, such as the flower, which is a sapphic violet. This was a flower women used to wear to indicate their interest in the same gender which originated with the poet Sappho. I included the pelt of the bear to symbolize power in an attempt to display the missuse of the queer-fem-figure without showcasing it in a suggestive or powerless way myself.

Thorns of Identity, Joel Nichols, oil paint on wooden board, fall 2021

Untitled, Joel Nichols, Oil on Canvas and wooden board, Fall 2021

I am an interdisciplinary artist who works primarily within the mediums of ceramics, print and painting. I am almost completed my BFA in Art from the University of Manitoba and currently live and work in Winnipeg MB. My work consists of both large and small ceramic vessels as well as large scale oil paintings. My work within print is seemingly more separate than the rest of my practice. However, I am currently using my print work as a base for my canvases and am slowly merging my different mediums. I am an interracial, queer, British born, Canadian immigrant. My work focuses a lot on identity and relational aesthetics. I am interested in the nuances of human relations; what makes us unique and what ties us all together. I have had the privilege of showing my work multiple times at the University of Manitoba’s student gallery as well as at Red Deer College. I hope to expand my practice learning from as many people as I can.