Scruffy Lesbian Art and Likeminded Spirits

Scruffy Lesbian Art is an exhibition that stems from the manifesto of the same name, written by Clem Edwards, Angelica Falkeling, and Natalia (Nika) Sorzano. Together, they advocate for an unconventional artistic practice that embraces the messy, the unfinished, and the handmade. Rather than clean lines and flawless finishes, corners are deliberately a little crooked and edges a little frayed. Unexpected materials, such as tape, textiles, dog hair, or an old comb with a dead fly in it found in a studio, find their way into the artworks.

The artists in the exhibition, who identify themselves as scruffy lesbian artists or likeminded spirits, work with what they find on the street or simply have at hand. Their work is nonetheless made with love, care, and close attention to both the material itself and the many ways it relates to the world through networks of kinship and affinity—all with a generous dose of humour.