StolenSpace is excited to introduce ‘Dismantled Identity’ exhibition, by Austin based artist, Anthony Hurd. This show tributes the dismantling and rebuilding of one’s self.
After experiencing the end of a long-term relationship, Hurd struggled with the confronting situation of having to discover themselves again. Coming out of this sparked a long and complex relationship with identity itself, coinciding with the experience of PTSD, anxiety, depression and OCD. The unraveling of everything they thought they knew was ‘him’ or ‘them’. Hurd poses the question; that if we identify with specific relationships, body parts, mental states, social groups, hobbies, interests, what happens when it is stripped from us?
From Hurd’s own exploration they find that we are not the sum of our parts, we are more than our bodies or relationships. Being stripped of it all allows one to truly remember who they are, to start new, to dismantle all the things that weren’t truly working, and to be more authentically themselves.
It’s that lovely dark night of the soul journey, but on the other side is an elated beauty in remembering, in nostalgia, and in the initial sparks of creativity that excited you at an early age. This dismantling allowed Hurd to reconnect with the things that made them truly happy, and reconfigure a new way to relate to the world around them.
Anthony Hurd is a multidisciplinary artist, who was raised on skateboarding culture, and currently resides in Albuquerque NM. Their work is focused on the expressions of identity. What we relate to and why. The skin we’re in, the jobs we have, the families we create. With vulnerability and compassion for himself and others, they’ve been able to put a voice to previously unspoken moments. Constantly influenced and inspired by skateboard and music culture to this day, and the perspective of being a queer, non-binary step dad, Hurd has created their own space to tell their stories.
To register interest for this show please email the gallery or call +44 (0)207 247 2684.