“Collage often emerges as a potent resistance against prevailing cultural narratives, while unlocking boundless horizons of possibility and potential futures. June Lam’s artistic embrace of collage within the FACET programme perpetuates this age-old tradition of transformative rebellion, forging uncharted pathways of expression and imagination.”
Following the launch of FACET this June, VSSL Studio’s programme dedicated to the exploration and celebration of contemporary queer art and culture, a selection of new work from London-based artist June Lam continues FACET’s momentum. For the second of five FACET exhibitions taking place over nine months, Lam has created a series of collages, initiated during his isolation due to the COVID19 lockdowns, which will be shown at this Deptford space throughout August.
Collage has a rich history in queer aesthetics and has been a favoured medium for many queer artists. The act of collage-making mirrors the world-making practices of queer culture, where individuals and communities necessarily have learnt to explode, edit, discard and reassemble societal norms and expectations to create their own forms of identities, communities and aesthetics. In this sense, collage can be seen as a form of resistance to dominant cultural narratives and a way to create new possibilities and futures. June Lam’s use of collage in his work for the FACET programme continues this tradition.
FACET opened with VSSL lead artist and curator Benjamin Sebastian exhibiting their work alongside the multifaceted artist Alicia Radage. FACET initiates a platform for invited artists to centre their individual perspectives while fostering a greater understanding of expanded queer experiences.
August 10-27, 2023
12-5pm, Thursday to Sunday
