Exhibition Runs: September 26 – November 2, 2024
Reception + Panel Discussion:
Saturday, October 19, 4:30p – 6:30p
Harwood Art Center is pleased to present Lucha Libre Trans Queer Art Espectacular by Artist In Residence, Gael Luna. They have been working in the A & S J Residency Studio At Harwood Art Center since March 2024. Their exhibition uplifts the lives of transgender and queer athletes in New Mexico.
Gallery Hours
Thursday – Saturday: 10a – 3p
Reception & Panel Discussion
Join us at the reception for a panel discussion featuring Gael Luna and collaborators whose stories are featured in the exhibition at Harwood on Saturday, October 19 from 4:30pm – 6:30pm. This event is free and open to the public.
Athletes:
Ocelotl Mora,
JP,
Xan Savage,
Ash Sena,
Zane Stephens,
Gael Luna
Collaborators:
Printer: Cabrini Martinez
Installer: Ocelotl Mora
Karthasis Media
Contributors
UETF Resiliency Residency
New Mexico Highlands University Media Arts Department
Lucha Libre Trans Queer Art Espectacular:
uplifting the lives of transgender and queer athletes in new mexico
The Lucha Libre Trans Queer Espectacular is a series of Luchador mask and cape designs that reflect the stories of Ocelotl Mora, Ash Sena, Xan Savage, Ash Sena, Zane Stephens, and Gael Luna. Trans and queer athletes that live in New Mexico.
This project uniquely responds to the existence of trans and queer people as athletes and through our other identities. This installation is built upon a series I developed centering on Trans Luchadores, a diverse group of trans-Mexican wrestler superheroes. Lucha Libre is a wrestling style that originated in Mexico. As a Mexican immigrant and former wrestler, Lucha Libre is close to my heart. I’m excited to continue reimagining a flamboyant sport that has unfortunately harbored machismo and homophobia into something explicitly trans and queer.
In New Mexico, community leaders have worked over generations to make our home a welcoming place for queer and trans people. As other states propose laws that cause harm to LGBTQ+ communities, New Mexico is a beacon of hope. These attacks disproportionately impact trans people, and trans athletes continue to be a consistent target. And Yet, sports have been a way for many transgender and queer people to feel connected to their bodies and gender identities. We must create a dialogue on trans sports bans and the discrimination they perpetuate.
This installation celebrates transgender and queer athletes of New Mexico while challenging people’s existing beliefs about gender-diverse people in sports.
Project Process: I worked with five trans and queer New Mexico-based athletes. I documented their stories by conducting interviews and taking photographs and videos at their gyms. Athletes also shared personal photos, writing, music, or items related to their stories. I then created design drafts and shared them with the participants for feedback and guidance. Once final edits were made, designs were printed on 44” x 66” matte paper.
About Gael
Gael Luna (they/them) is a trans-queer immigrant artist and community organizer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, they migrated to the U.S. at age seven.
They received a bachelor’s degree in Media Arts from New Mexico Highlands University in 2014. In their senior year, they were awarded the Seabury Fellowship and created their body of work, Joteria Undocumented. They got to exhibit across the states of New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah, including being featured artists in Mujeres Activas en Letras y Cambios Social (MALC) and inaugurations, Fwd: Museum Journal.
In 2021, they received the Tipping Point residency with the City of Albuquerque and Tamarind Institute. Most recently, they were awarded the 2024 UETF Artist Resiliency Residency and Residency for Art & Social Justice from Harwood Art Center.
“My identities have profoundly shaped the way I create art. Coming from communities directly impacted by the lack of healthcare access, immigration statutes, and economic disparity, I have found work most meaningful when I build toward the needs of communities.
I am a visual artist who utilizes digital art, design, and photography to convey stories of New Mexicans, LGBTQ+ people, and immigrant communities. I capture people’s lives in connection to their sexuality, gender, culture, and the places they make home.
I use art to mobilize communities as we create change together. Art is powerful, sparking conversations that shift hearts and minds and inspiring transformation.” – Gael Luna
About Harwood’s Residency Program
Each fall for thirteen years, Harwood’s galleries are devoted to artists working at the intersections of creative expression and social justice. In 2021, for the occasion of Harwood’s 30th Anniversary, we expanded this offering and formally established our first official annual residency program.
Harwood’s residency program supports the creation of new, original, and experimental projects and their culminating public exhibitions, by artists who work at the intersections of art and social justice. The resident is resourced with a private studio at Harwood for the duration of their 10 month residency, a six week exhibition, project, promotional, and professional support from our staff, and honoraria to support their time, materials and creative work.