The lobby at William Way LGBT Community Center has a new look. Multimedia artist Heather Raquel Phillips has transformed the center, not just with their photography, but with a dark, edgy treatment that looks like the walls are covered in leather. A perfect background for their exhibit Margin/Margin, which highlights QTBIPOC in leather culture.
Phillips, a talented artist, independent curator and educator received her BFA from Tyler School of Art (2008) and her MFA from University of Pennsylvania (2016) where she was the recipient of the prestigious Toby Devon Lewis Fellowship & the Stuart Egnal Scholarship. Phillips draws on her background as a fluid, mixed-race person of Afro-Boricuan descent to focus on the joy and personal agency of marginalized people using topics addressing power, sexuality and deviance.
“My practice is prioritizing work with my local community of queer, trans, gender non-conforming, POC and kinky dissidents — holding space for my subjects to unapologetically exist,” Phillips said.
Philips states, “Through film and photo, the featured participants share personal pleasures and challenges as people navigating sexual dynamics within marginalized BDSM communities. It’s also a glimpse into a microcosm that reflects larger, systemic issues laden with isms and phobias. While the core issues addressed in this project concern race, visibility and representation, parallels can be drawn with a variety of body politic marginalizations.”
The photos offer a personal and intimate view of a community that is often underrepresented and not often seen, “honoring the generous participants by holding space for their unique, yet relatable stories.”
According to Phillips, the project was created to allow people to see themselves, demystify kink in communities of color and create possibilities for conversations to happen.
Phillips’ exhibit will be the last installation before William Way embarks on new renovations.
Heather Raquel Phillips’ exhibit Margin/Margin is on display through Nov. 9 at William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. A closing reception for the exhibit is scheduled for 6-8 p.m. Nov. 9 at William Way.