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Hidden explores intergenerational trauma [hauntology], isolation and lived experiences of Black artists with hidden disabilities. What is hidden is kept concealed, and what is concealed is done to hide our uniqueness.
As we navigate through unwelcome spaces that create exclusion and anxiety, we recognize how ableism, according to Dustin P. Gibson’s definition, is an “anti-black system that assigns value based on our ability to produce profit, excel and behave, and enforces a false idea of normalcy.” But we find each other in spite of invisibility, concealment and what is hidden. We strengthen each other by centering our communities from the peripheries, celebrating our shared spaces, ideas and experiences with other like-minded individuals.
Through our intersectional approach to disability arts, we reject single narratives of disability. Our collective understanding of disability is one that is political and relational. As we begin to uncover what is hidden, we move towards a rich and vibrant diversity of movements that work to confront our own cultural priorities.
Even though our practices are different, each artist adds to the exhibition in unique ways that results into a powerful show. We are stronger together than separately.
Artist and Curator
Gloria C. Swain
Gloria C. Swain is a multidisciplinary Black fem artist, social justice activist, researcher, seniors’ rights and mental health advocate and writer. Swain works within the mediums of installation, painting, performance and photography to challenge systemic oppression against Black women and trans folks. Her work explores and connects past traumas of slavery to ongoing colonial violence and Black mental health. Gloria’s work has been exhibited throughout Toronto.
Her writings have been included in Cultivate Feminism, the Peak Magazine, Marvelous Grounds and the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies. In 2016, she was the artist in-residence at Tangled Art +
Disability. Swain holds a certificate in Community Arts Practice and a Master’s degree in Environmental Studies from York University.
Artists
Tamyka Bullen
Tamyka Bullen is a Deaf artist and performer. As a social justice advocate, she has volunteered and worked with youth, deaf women, immigrant and LGBTQ communities. In 2015, she performed her poetry for the first time at a Toronto subway station – an experience which gave her the confidence to perform in RARE Theatre’s latest production After the Blackout. Created by Judith Thompson – winner of the Governor General’s Award, Order of Canada and Amnesty International Freedom of Expression Award – the play brings together a cast of artists who are deaf, blind or living with brain injury or lost limbs.
Peter Owusu-Ansah
Born in Ghana, Peter Owusu-Ansah is an observer, thinker and visual artist. Because he is Deaf, seeing is how he captures the joy of life. For years, he observed the arts from throughout history. He had always been wondering what is next. That’s what he seeks and find through just being creative. His practice has included painting, photography and pop-art. In 2009, Peter drowned in colorful pixels that he discovered when he zoomed in one of his pop art work. He had been living and playing with them as well as developing a deep connection with them. Some of his earliest color works was selected to be included in the exhibition, “Flourishing: SOMEHOW WE STAY ATTUNED”, in September 2018 by Tangled Art Gallery. He lives and works in Toronto.
Kyisha Williams
Kyisha Williams is a Black, queer, femme artist and health promoter.
Her mediums are filmmaking, acting, and dance. Kyisha works to accurately portray the realities of these communities on-screen. Kyisha fuses her experience as a health promoter with her work as an artist, creating socially relevant content that discusses health and promotes healthy sexuality and consent culture. She has acted in over 10 short films and enjoys stage and site management.
A gallery space with a white wall in the center printed with a paragraph of black text, and hung with a small screen playing a video and a pair of black headphones. The text reads:
“HOLDING SPACE
This is a space held for the artist who couldn’t be here today.
Whether artists who suffer from invisible disabilities are our ancestors, those who have passed from systemic injustice and violence, those who are physically unable to be here because space is inaccessible or those who experience invisible struggles with mental health, this space is for them. They are artists whose work we value. They are families whose presence is important. We cannot be here, entirely, without acknowledging who are unable to be present today.
What does it mean to hold space for someone with hidden disabilities? Holding space means no judgment and opening your heart. It means showing empathy and compassion, and that strength and evolution can come from sharing space, ideas and experiences with other like-minded individuals. It means to put aside ableist thinking and offer unconditional love and support to someone having a difficult time. Holding space allows time for healing. It aims to acknowledge and validate what someone is going through. Holding space is about allowing someone to take all the time they need to heal. It’s about assuring them they are loved, valued and irreplaceable.
[Gloria Swain]” The entrance to the exhibit “Hidden”, shown from January 17 to February 28, 2020 at Tangled Art + Disability in Toronto, Ontario. The image shows text introducing the exhibit and its curator, Gloria C. Swain, next to a television showing an ASL interpretation of the introduction. On the adjacent wall are three pieces by Peter Owusu-Ansah. Each piece is a square. “Stripe 1” features multicoloured stripes. “Yellow Ring” starts with a square cyan at the centre, surrounded by bands of royal blue, purple, pink, orange and yellow. “Blackground” features small, brightly coloured squares in pink, orange, blue and green against a black background.A gallery space filled with pieces from “Hidden”. In the center of the room, a screen is suspended between two wooden beams. The screen shows an image of a woman overlaid over an image of a crowded room, arms raised in a cradle gesture. The caption reads, “An Indian toddler crawls to a Black single mother with a Black child boy; All the sudden, an Indian father snatches his baby out of the Black boy’s hug Then sneers at them; “You nigga”. The little boy cries, her mother consoles him closely”.A framed canvas printed with black text. Some of the words are visible, while others are covered by black bars, in the style of a blackout poem. The poem is titled “Black Depression.” and reads:
“ — [mentally ill] — leukemia — — survived two abusive — physical — mental trauma. — — baby was ripped out of my arms — — white men — black suits. — homeless — — small child. — doctor — me anti-depressants — time, — would — report — children’s services — safety — child. — passed away. — chronic — — died during Christmas holidays in 2003. After 48 weeks of treatment and meds for depression, ——— treatment — unsuccessful. — no more — do for me — told I would need a — or worse, in 5 years. — died after her [special needs] son was removed from her care. I don’t know where — returned to — earned — 2017. — employment, — such a mental blare: — forced to move — could no longer — A senior, alone — distress, — in fear of — homeless. —— Toronto Community Housing for seniors — Surgery — — tumours inside — diagnosed — cancer — cancer surgery. — senior’s — bedbug incidents — bites and rashes — head to toe] — floods — tenant — hoarder — maintenance — ignored —— —— informing me — moved — different unit due to the same issues — air quality was terrible due to flooding; — discovered — had been illegally entered — every night — mice scratching — screaming — beneath — there was no a/c during hot — no access — fresh air; during the freezing cold winter, — inadequate heat — — source of heat until I purchased a floor heater; the —————— didn’t speak — afraid of him; — not done. — ongoing complaints — from the TCH supervisor, — accompanied — — who recorded — to my ——— was not — to me or — informed why the — recorded. — quality of and mental — physical] health — deteriorate — control.
Older. Black. Woman.
Alone. Ill. Depressed.
No one — no therapist. No — mental health services. No programs. Poverty — long- term disability — depression — chronic illnesses — feeling alone, unloved and invisible — 2019] Art is healing. — most — spaces are unwelcoming. Life should be beautiful. — Depression — political. [Gloria C Swain]
— no one ever asks, “What happened.” [Gloria C —A close-up of a framed canvas printed with black text. Some of the words have been pasted over with squares of black paper, blocking them from view. The edges of the photo are blurry; some of the words which can be made out are “Black…[mentally ill]… lukemia…survived two abusive…mental trauma…baby was ripped out of my arms… white men… black suits… homeless… small child”Three small tables in a gallery, each draped with a flowing table cloth that reaches the floor and adorned with objects. All three tables are lit with softly glowing salt lamps. The centre table, against the wall, is covered in white fur and displays a vase which holds a large bouquet of colourful flowers, a long-stemmed candy bowl, and other small glass or ceramic items which are out of focus. The tables on either side of the center each display bottles of spirits, small potted plants, and a shiny black spherical sculpture.A small table laid with a white cloth displaying a number of objects. In one corner there are three small bottles of liquor; beside these are a glass vase and a pink salt lamp glowing softly. In the centre there is a conch shell, surrounded by two potted plants and two rounded sculptures of glass or ceramic, one green and one black. A small table laid with a white cloth displaying a number of objects. In one corner there are three small bottles of liquor; beside these, a glass bowl holding a succulent, and a pink salt lamp glowing softly. In the center is a glass box of ashes, surrounded by two ceramic or glass sculpture; one a green cactus, the other a black sphere. At the head of the table, two wrapped candies lie on a black serving tray. A small table laid with a pelt of white fur displaying a large vase full of colourful flowers. The vase is surrounded by a pink salt lamp, a green glass cactus, an empty vase, and a long-stemmed glass candy bowl full of gold-wrapped chocolates. A braid of sweetgrass lies at the front of the table. A glass candy bowl with a long stem filled with Ferrero Rocher chocolates, round truffles wrapped in gold foil. A vase full of colourful flowers fills the background of the frame. A small table displaying several small objects, photographed from above. A glass box, edged in gold and filled with ashes, sits at the front of the table. Behind it, a potted green succulent sits in a glass bowl. Three bottles of spirits of various shapes and colours sit next to the succulent. Two small sculptures sit out of focus, partially visible at the edges of the frame.Three colorful square pop-art works hang in a row on a white gallery wall. The piece on the left features 13 vertical stripes in blue, green, pink, and orange. The center piece is a series of concentric squares, their colours shifting from yellow at the edge, through oranges an pinks, and finally to blue at the center. The piece on the right is mostly black with colourful squares peeking through, resembling pixels. An abstract painting with a textured black background hangs on a white gallery wall. A cluster of organic shapes fills the center of the canvas, wavy cone shapes with elongated tails that appear like mushrooms growing from the canvas. There are several white shapes in the background, with pale blue shapes layered on top.A gallery space filled with pieces from “Hidden”. In the center of the room, a screen is suspended between two wooden beams. The screen shows still from a video: a person in a long, brightly patterned coat standing on a cobbled street surrounded by colourful lights, including bright orbs reflected from the camera. The caption reads, “Glow?…I come close to see the water pond… I see my glow in the reflection.” A gallery space filled with pieces from “Hidden”. In the center of the room, a screen is suspended between two wooden beams. The screen shows a black-and-white still from a video showing a person standing in front of a brick wall, hands raised in front of them. The caption reads, “I don’t understand how I woke up. The light isn’t in my hands; where it goes?”A gallery space filled with pieces from “Hidden”. In the centre of the room, a screen is suspended between two wooden beams. The screen shows a colourful spiral, with shades of blue, yellow, and brown that swirl towards the centre of the screen.A gallery space filled with pieces from “Hidden”. In the center of the room, a screen is suspended between two wooden beams. The screen shows a backlit sign that reads “free people” in an irregular cursive script. A series of four black-and white photographs hang in a row on a white gallery wall. Each photograph has been cut into strips and woven together with a second photo, creating a grid-like effect. The subject of the photographs is not clear, but each appears to show a close-up of a person’s face. Three photos also show a hand, alternately cupping the person’s cheek and blocking their face from the camera’s view. A close-up shot showing two framed black-and-white photos, which hang on a white gallery wall. Each frame holds two photographs, cut into strips and woven together, creating a pattern of squares. The subjects of the photos are not clear, but both frames seem to show a similar image of a person’s face, a hand raised to block their features. A series of three framed photographs hang on a white gallery wall, each a shot of a person lying in various positions on a shiny surface that reflects their image. The photos are all rotated 180°. The first shows a person’s head and shoulders, with fingers interlaced in front of their face. The second shows the same person with their arms crossed at the wrist and their head bowed. The third shows the same person with their head laid on their hands, elbows bent.
Images by Michelle Peek Photography courtesy of Bodies in Translation: Activist Art, Technology & Access to Life, Re•Vision: The Centre for Art & Social Justice at the University of Guelph. Artwork by Tamyka Bullen, Peter Owusu-Ansah, and Kyisha Williams from the Hidden exhibition curated by Gloria C. Swain at Tangled Art + Disability.
