Cleopatria Peterson (they/them) is a multi-disciplinary artist that explores the intersectionality of their identities as a black, non-binary transgender crip artist through the mediums of narrative, printmaking, illustration and education. They have had their work shown at The Canadian Textile Museum, Tangled Arts & Disability and most recently the Art Gallery of Guelph. They graduated from the Cross Disciplinary Art: Publications program at OCAD U as the medal winner for their class (2020) and also hold a Bachelor’s of Design from TMU’s Fashion Communication program. They currently teach printmaking in its various forms at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Artist Statement

Novid

The Novid Prophylactics were a way for the artist to imagine a world where caring about Covid could be something sexy. What if it was considered hot to protect each other from transferable illness? That’s the world the artist would prefer to live in. The box design is inspired by condom packages you can grab at the pharmacy and plays with logos utilizing a plague doctor and white supremacist iconography. From this tongue-in-cheek portrayal they speak to how a lack of Covid safety measures is an act of eugenics. The artist hopes that considering the ramifications of Covid will encourage others to participate in #nocovid. 

Masks

The trio of masks were created as an interrogation of the posters and recommendations that the artist would see in their travels. Many people rely on transit to navigate where they live. Many immunocompromised people have lost that ability to travel because with no masking regulations the public has become an unsafe space. Most cannot even go to a hospital, where the staff whose job it is to make us better, refuse to mask. The artist encourages folks to consider who we leave behind when we suggest wearing a mask to protect ourselves from airborne diseases.  

Gender Juice

The gender juice boxes are a fun way to imagine alternatives to accessing hormone replacement therapy. Both come in a boy and girl flavor with nutritional content that reflects what one would receive in a vial of Testosterone or Estrogen. 

Paper Plate

The paper plate print is inspired after the poem “Our Beautiful Life When It’s Filled With Shrieks” by Christopher Citro. The artist is working with the plate as a vessel as nourishment, also encouraging those that engage with their work to be fed by the content.