We’re excited to announce our 2021 Graduate Award Show - Bedroom Pop with Dreambean. The exhibition opens on 14 April, with a late night opening at Catalyst Arts, 6-8pm
Dreambean’s art evokes nostalgic childhood memories and celebrates queer joy. Like many artists, Dreambean’s studio and living space are one and the same. Not being able to separate their art practice and place of rest, the two worlds collide, manifesting Dreambean’s alternative reality of Bedroom Pop.
The exhibition runs from 14 April to 5 May 2022.
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In their work, Dreambean often blurs the lines of gender, identity, time and place. Bedroom Pop does not aim for realism, this is because Dreambean is creating their own queer folklore; a place that exists somewhere between the waking and sleeping state. They reimagine this world through installation, creating hybrid creatures and psychedelic landscapes, using overwhelming colour and patterns to transport the viewer into Bedroom Pop.
Dreambean is honest and often extremely critical of the present. In the work Read Me Like An Open Book they discuss their daily anxieties: questioning social norms, deconstructing capitalism and discussing traumatic current events. Despite this, Dreambean remains hopeful and uses humour to counteract troublesome thoughts sprinkling in silly quotes, their favourite queer icons and positive affirmations amongst the negativity and chaos. They believe that being unapologetically honest and depicting their imperfect queer self will allow the audience to question social conventions in a safe space and prompt a change. Bedroom Pop is a place that encourages the viewer to be critical but to also not take things too seriously!
Dreambean believes in the power of reclaiming the inner child; by doing so, this allows them to harness their creativity through play. They often choose materials that most people associate with being ‘childlike’ such as crayons, air dry clay and cardboard. These unconventional materials are often rejected by Dreambeans contemporaries, in their art practice they aim to bring value to things that most deem invaluable. Dreambean, therefore, feels the most comfortable identifying with the DIY philosophies and aesthetics, having this approach to art is their best way to disrupt realism and allow for unconventional thought and change.
Ultimately, Dreambean wants to make people smile. In some ways, they are no different to the queer icons that they celebrate in their art, from the fictional Tinky Winky to the very real Bimini Bon-Boulash. Dreambean celebrates and emulates these queer pop cultural icons because of their powerful ability to spread positivity whilst breaking gender norms in the mainstream.
Dreambean can be considered an energy that can be embodied, a philosophy and a symbol of hope.
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