AGNUS DEI
by Rowan Raskin
Charcoal, acrylic, and oil paint on canvas 48”x32”x1.5”
“Queer bodies exist as the roadkill of American Society. We are something gross, pushed off to the side of the road, and uncomfortably avoided when possible. I find kinship in the beauty and the horror of rotting animals. Just like our act of living as transgender beings is often treated with horror, disgust, and violence, I find solace in the immutable truth that we all come to rest in the cradle of the earth’s crust. We all turn to rot. And we all are immeasurably more beautiful for it. This piece is dedicated to Kitty Monroe, a Latine trans woman who was murdered on the first day of 2024 in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona. This was not the first instance of violence perpetrated against her due to her gender identity and expression –but it was the last. This painting acts as a reminder to not look away from the brutality and ugliness happening to members of our community. See the pain, see the beauty –feel how uncomfortable it is to have the line be blurred between the two, and whatever happens; please don’t look the other way. A quarter of all proceeds made from any sale of this image (painting or otherwise) will be donated to One N Ten, an incredible organization that works to support LGBTQ+ youth throughout Arizona.”
Rowan Raskin is a queer, non-binary artist from Arizona and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design(2021). Currently located in Boston, MA, but inspired by their childhood spent exploring the deserts of Arizona; Rowan mythologizes the Southwestern queer experience. By combining the aesthetics of the southwest gothic, narratives of found family, perceptions of the body as landscape, and roadkill as an analogy for transgender life, Rowan hopes to create tenderness and love where some might only see horror. Rowan received the Worcester Center for Art’s Glass Residency upon their graduation and more recently has shown work with The Fort Point Arts Community Gallery. Rowan was awarded the 2024 Walter Feldman Fellowship and recently curated and hosted a salon style group show.
