Interdisciplinary Albuquerque artist Helen Juliet Atkins explores the symbiotic nature between individuals and their communities, especially how one’s sense of self is affected by culture.
Helen Juliet Atkins is an interdisciplinary artist from Albuquerque. Her studio practice, public works, and community engagement projects often focus on the intersection of art and social justice. Her work explores the symbiotic nature between individuals and their communities, especially how one’s sense of self is affected by culture.
“Soft is a sculptural installation that examines rituals of transformation and the relationship between physicality and identity. The series focuses on the belly as a source of deep cultural and individual significance. The ‘belly portraits’ depict real individuals, modeled from references gathered via social media. These portraits exalt a depreciated part of the body, often shrouded in shame and hidden in privacy. The exhibition, with its wall hanging sculptures, video art, and functional dining installation, draws a parallel between secular and religious promises of transfiguration. I create a new form of transformation, taking photos that are given to me and creating works that deify the sender’s physical form.”
Atkins received a BA in studio arts from the University of New Mexico in 2016.
Albuquerque, NM | helenatkins.com | ig: @helenjuliet_art
