PROJECT STATEMENT

Nicholas Demers was introduced to Art Therapy after the loss of his mother at age 7. It became a tool he used to navigate through the various traumas of living as a queer kid in the early eighties.

We have been fed the idea since birth that our genders have assigned and appropriate likes and dislikes. Pink vs. Blue, Trucks vs. Ponies, She-Ra vs. He-Man. 

Demers recalls, “I remember being devastated every time I went to the dentist. We got Styrofoam airplanes after our visit ‘cause we were boys. Right next to the jar of ugly paper plane packages, was a dish of sparkly and colourful plastic costume rings of which I wasn’t allowed to pick from. This collection is a result of a lifetime full of these moments.”

This exhibition explores Demers’ journey through the materials that he truly enjoys. Materials that fascinate and inspire him, but that—due to societal pressures—he has been compelled to avoid.

Why do we seem so queer? is a celebration and a tribute to seven year old ‘Nicky’. An homage to all the trauma that has made Demers’ the man he is today.

MEDIUM

This heavily embellished collection uses a variety of materials including up-cycled jewellery, beads, stone, fringe, and other simply fabulous treasures.