ST4R_BBZ

steel, silver, spray paint, fresh water pearls, acrylic, epoxy

Left: 2.6 x 2 in
Right: 3 x 2 in

My work is a response to lived experiences and how they materialize as the need to imbue my surroundings with magic. Couching my subversion to contemporary society in vibrant colors and intricate metal constructions, I express to others what defines my non-binary identity—something that is ever-evolving. Binaries blur as I layer, respond, and transform elements through experimental techniques in metalworking — resulting in clarity and a new visual language that allows me to articulate the specificities of who I am. I continually reanalyze myself in relation to the objects I create to position myself in an enigmatic realm, an inbetween space, called $P4RKL3_FiLTH_CL0UD_NiN3—a place where equilibrium and a sense of belonging converge. Here, I break myself and redefine myself putting things back together to feel like equal parts sparkle and filth.

Artist bio:
SULO BEE earned their BFA from Texas State University with a focus in Metals and Jewelry in 2018 and their MFA from SUNY New Paltz in 2022. They have exhibited their work internationally with various galleries and Jewelry Weeks in Budapest, Milan, and New York. SULO is a co-founder of Queer Metalsmiths where they seek to uplift queer voices in the field of craft and metalsmithing. Their work was featured in the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt Learning Lab highlighting LGBTQIA+ artists. During NYCJW 2022 they were a panelist on “Identity Adorned: The Intersection of Jewelry and Queerness” at the Museum of Art and Design. SULO was recently named one of ten artists in the nation for the 2022 Emerging Artist Cohort with American Craft Council and awarded the Marzee Graduate Prize at the International Graduate Show with Galerie Marzee. SULO is currently developing a body of work for the GEMz talent programme with Current Obsession Magazine in Amsterdam.