King of Spades

If art has its purposes, then one of them must be a representation of the members of the large diverse community we live in. I believe we are living in an astonishing time when we finally have the possibility to tell stories about concepts that have been stigmatized or swept under the rug. As those stories are being told now, it gives us the ability to liberate oppressed groups, and ask questions to the general public - the questions that were only whispered before within the walls of those who have been confined to survival, fear, and abandonment by the majoritarian narrative dictating the "correct ways" of living life.

I can't expand enough not only on the importance of representation in media but also on how wonderful it is that we are currently in power to reshape outlooks and perceptions on stagnant societal issues. Art is the perfect tool for that within the paradigm of today's relationship between mass media and the consumer. It is amazing how much discourse and attention we can bring to various matters by simply acknowledging their existence and sharing them as stories in a way that can be taken within with ease by someone who might have not ever confronted it in any other way. In the matter of LGBT+ representation, this has obviously been done via many methods with all the emerging new voices and their works. Yet I cannot help but see how slowly and reluctantly it is being done - yes, we see more LGBT+ representation but too often it is limited to popularized tropes of how to demonstrate a queer perspective, showcasing something that fails to actively challenge societal ideas and concepts of identity, relationships, sex and other.

As a queer man, I do have my own stories to tell, and when I, as an artist, have the burden of challenging the audiences and altering the world, hence making it better, if even for a bit, talking about matters that are not being talked about enough, if at all, becomes my focus. Male vulnerability and asexuality are some of these concepts. We live in a world where we still have a very binary view of gender identity and expression, with all of their expectations and limitations towards individuals based upon their assigned sex at birth. We also live in a world where we have a strange relationship with sexuality - it can be deemed as too taboo, yet in some cases demonstration of sexuality is being praised for, what I believe, to be a perception of power and control within it.

Within "King of Spades", I want to normalize some concepts about humans, and challenge others.

I hope that it is asking the right questions to its audience, and I hope even more that these questions would linger with them until we provoke action and create a healthier society.