SYMBIOSIS
Slemmons Gallery
March 21, 2025 - May 9, 2025
Through fantastical reimagining of scientific subjects, SYMBIOSIS examines what unites all living beings outside of strict hierarchies and binary definitions. For billions of years, life on earth has existed in a multiplicity of forms. Through both process and materials, Mats Dahlberg explores the interdependence of disparate organisms, the beauty and violence of nature and regeneration, and the lessons we can learn from it.
Contrary to the belief that Queer identities are a modern concept, humans have exhibited behaviors now attributed to queerness since ancient times. Nature, with its vast diversity, shows that restrictive definitions are based on fear, not truth. Queerness, Dahlberg states: “Is as deep as fungal mycelium networks, as powerful as the constant toil of tectonic movements, and as intricate as the dance of worker bees through the hive.”
Inspired by drag nightlife performance, Dahlberg uses bold colors, intricate designs, and avant-garde creations to defy fashion norms in their costume design. They blend fine art and traditional craft techniques, adorning doilies from their Great Grandmother with beads and rhinestones to honor those of marginalized genders who cultivated craft practices like embroidery and crochet. Their costume work challenges viewers to imagine life forms beyond the human self and explore the possibilities of the noncorporeal, trans body.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
SYMBIOSIS
Slemmons Gallery
March 21, 2025 - May 9, 2025
Through fantastical reimagining of scientific subjects, SYMBIOSIS examines what unites all living beings outside of strict hierarchies and binary definitions. For billions of years, life on earth has existed in a multiplicity of forms. Through both process and materials, Mats Dahlberg explores the interdependence of disparate organisms, the beauty and violence of nature and regeneration, and the lessons we can learn from it.
Contrary to the belief that Queer identities are a modern concept, humans have exhibited behaviors now attributed to queerness since ancient times. Nature, with its vast diversity, shows that restrictive definitions are based on fear, not truth. Queerness, Dahlberg states: “Is as deep as fungal mycelium networks, as powerful as the constant toil of tectonic movements, and as intricate as the dance of worker bees through the hive.”
Inspired by drag nightlife performance, Dahlberg uses bold colors, intricate designs, and avant-garde creations to defy fashion norms in their costume design. They blend fine art and traditional craft techniques, adorning doilies from their Great Grandmother with beads and rhinestones to honor those of marginalized genders who cultivated craft practices like embroidery and crochet. Their costume work challenges viewers to imagine life forms beyond the human self and explore the possibilities of the noncorporeal, trans body.
RSVP for the opening reception on Friday, March 21 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the link below:
Click HERE for more information on gallery hours and private appointments.
Mats was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and now resides in Chicago. Since graduating with a BA in Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2023, they work as a freelance costume designer for drag and nightlife performers in Chicago and around the world. Their inaugural fashion collection /CELL/EBRATION debuted in October 2024.
Mats was born and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota and now resides in Chicago. Since graduating with a BA in Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago in 2023, they work as a freelance costume designer for drag and nightlife performers in Chicago and around the world. Their inaugural fashion collection /CELL/EBRATION debuted in October 2024.
