Happy Room — Mosaic Collage
digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia
February 2 – April 6, 2023
Two new exhibitions Happy Room — Mosaic Collage and digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia will be on view at the Office of Arts & Culture’s ARTS at King Street Station gallery, February 2 through April 6, 2023.
Happy Room — Mosaic Collage features everyday objects through the artistry and colorful lens of artist Naoko Morisawa. Juxtaposed with Morisawa’s mosaic collages is a collection of multi-media artworks from five multi-disciplinary, award-winning Indigenous artists in digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia.
“Both Happy Room and digital indigiqueer illustrate the power of artists telling their histories and illuminating the magic inherent in our everyday lives. ARTS at King Street Station is proud to provide a platform for artists to engage the public in a showcase of their incredible talents.”
royal alley-barnes, Acting Director, Office of Arts & Culture
Happy Room — Mosaic Collage
Naoko Morisawa/ Morisawa Studio
Specializing in intricate natural and oil-dyed wooden and paper mosaics, artist Naoko Morisawa invites viewers to experience Happy Room — Mosaic Collage, a collection of over 50 small, mid, and large-scale works that evoke a sense of joy and draw from the Hygge lifestyle. The installation is divided into four rooms, Shoes/Closet, Kitchen/Living Room, Theater Japonism/Living Room, and Heart Room. Each piece and room transforms everyday objects like a dependable pair of shoes or a pastry from a café into ornate, dynamic mosaics that invite viewers to find beauty in the details. Happy Room – Mosaic Collage features pieces from various bodies of work from the past 15 years including pieces from My Collection Shoes, Mosaic Café, Japanese Opera – Noh Mask, and newer abstract works.
“With these works I tried to bring to life the material properties of wood and paper as much as possible. I think that mixing two (or more) materials on one panel will make each other more complicated and increase their presence and statement.”
Naoko Morisawa
Born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, Naoko Morisawa studied design and ceramics at Tama Art University, one of the major art schools in Japan. Her work spans from art exhibitions, commercial design projects, and teaching art classes in Tokyo, Yokohama, and the Canadian Embassy.
In 2004, Naoko moved to the Pacific Northwest where she explored exhibition opportunities starting from small exhibition spaces which then grew into national and international exhibitions. Morisawa has exhibited her work throughout the US and internationally in Canada, Japan, and Ireland. Her work has also been collected by and displayed at various entities including the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, City of Portland, City of Seattle, City of Bellevue, Kent, Shoreline, Seattle Convention Center Summit Building, ArtsWA, Amazon, General Electric, Nordstrom, and Facebook. Morisawa has been awarded artist grants from the Puffin Foundation, The Santo Foundation, Artist Trust, and more. Naoko Morisawa’s abstract artwork is represented by Traver Gallery, Seattle.
digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia
Hexe Fey
A showcase of transgender and sacred gender indigenous artists working in digital media, transmedia, film, 360 video, glitch art, contemporary interpretations of traditional forms, and future mediums. digital indigiqueer: a showcase of trans transmedia includes 11 individual pieces exploring the diversity of contemporary indigenous creativity and touching their futures and pasts. Work from Raven TwoFeathers, Ty Defoe, Raven Kameʻenui-Becker, Communidad Catrileo+Carrion, Elijah Forbes, and organizer Hexe Fey.
Aritst Bios
Hexe Fey (he/they) is a transmasculine Oglala Lakota and European interdisciplinary mover, art worker, curator, glitch user, interactive fiction writer, and community harm reductionist. Hexe is the creator of the video game Cursed Task, which focuses on the struggle of writing artist bios.
Raven TwoFeathers (Cherokee, Seneca, Cayuga, Comanche) is a Two Spirit, Emmy award-winning creator based in Seattle, WA. Originally from New Mexico, they spent their childhood moving and exploring Indigenous cultures across the continent and Pacific. They returned to New Mexico to attend Santa Fe University of Art & Design, graduating magna cum laude with a BFA in Film Production. After graduation, their path led them to working on and creating more Indigenous art than ever and things began to feel right. They recently released a comic-based zine, “Qualifications of Being,” about their journey of realizing they are trans and Two Spirit. They continue to grow and explore their practice through the people they meet, and the stories that guide them.
Ty Defoe (Giizhig) is an Indigiqueer citizen of Oneida and Anishinaabe Nations. He is an interdisciplinary artist and Grammy Award winner who has authored multiple works including Ajijaak on Turtle Island, The Lesson (w/ Avi Amon and Nolan Doran), and Firebird Tattoo. He has received recognition for his works including the 2021-2022 Sundance Fellow, Helen Merrill Playwriting Award, Jonathan Larson Award, Cultural Capital Fellow with First People’s Fund, Robert Rauschenberg artist in residence, and The Methuen Drama Book of Trans Plays for the Stage, among others.
Communidad Catrileo+Carrion are queer/trans/nonbinary Indigenous epupillan (two-spirit) beings who work articulating generative spaces of reciprocity and relationality. They honor the land and their ancestors through ceremonies materialized in their audiovisual, textile, editorial, curatorial, and community practices. Communidad Catrileo+Carrion reside divided between Pikunmapu/Qullasuyu (Valparaíso Region, Chile) and Kumeyaay Territory (San Diego, California, USA). The group is currently composed of Antonio Catrileo Araya, Constanza Catrileo Araya, Malku Catrileo Araya, Alejandra Carrión Lira, and Manuel Carrión Lira.
Elijah Forbes is an Indigenous Two-Spirit creative that focuses on bringing Odawa storytelling and transgender joy into the world through his work. He has previously worked with Twitter to create illustrated media for the Trans Awareness Week hashtag, as well as with many other clients to bring their ideas to life. Some of these companies include: BookRiot, Andrews McMeel Publishing, The Boys and Girls Club of Canada, and Iron Circus Comics.
All-ages Exhibition Exploration of digital indigiqueer
Saturday, February 4, 2023
1 – 3 p.m.
This special all-ages event includes an exhibition tour, interactive panel discussion, and creative seeding through reflective writing with featured artists Raven Kame’enui-Becker, Antu and Manu of Communidad Catrileo+Carrion, Elijah Forbes, and curator Hexe Fey.
FREE, but registration is required.
For questions or inquiries, please contact Tina LaPadula, Arts Education Project Manager, at tina.lapadula@seattle.gov or at (206) 518-4205.
*Minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.
ARTS at King Street Station is FREE and open Wednesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., and until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays.