Shaunia L Grant

she/they

Athens, GA, USA

Shaunia Grant is an object maker and jeweler based in Athens, Georgia, and was born and raised in the border town of Las Cruces, New Mexico. They earned their MFA in studio art at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia and previously received their BFA from New Mexico State University. Their identity as a queer, indigenous person informs their material language as a maker as they consider assimilated notions of desire. Using various media and materials they explore unfulfilled expectations.

“I question symbols of femininity and the complicated nature of the body through my perspective, as a Gender Non-conforming Dyke. This work combines chewed gum and hair, creating a tension between two familiar materials we believe should never touch. Locks of hair and saliva have existed as both symbols of desire and repulsion. By combining these two types of bodily waste into one bright and desirable object, I am celebrating their abject nature. I heavily reference Victorian mourning jewelry using traditional techniques of weaving learned from an 1867 guidebook. Surrounding the pieces are orbs formed from gum that has been transformed through my own queer body. This residue takes the place of the desirable pearl, where my body becomes the oyster and the gum becomes the gem. Through this work, I am simultaneously embracing the queer body and mourning for its dejection.”

@unloadedmindset

How does your work relate to the theme connection?

“This work was born from queer desire and yearning. Throughout making this work, my partner and I were living in different countries. During this time my mind was filled with ideas of lover's locks and mourning jewelry. I asked myself often how I could hold even just pieces of my lover's body near me, even if we were apart. Creating this work allowed me to create new queer bodies, simultaneously a part of me and able to be places where I am not. I firmly believe joy and grief are lovers. There is a discomfort present in their relationship, as one cannot exist without the other."

"munchermunchermuncher", Brass, woven hair, gum, 5" x 3" x .25", 2024

NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Francely Flores

What role does connection play in your creative process?

“The ability of art, specifically jewelry, to build connections is one of the reasons that I fell in love with the process. I have always loved the accessibility of jewelry; every person owns some adornment regardless of gender, class, or race. When creating my work, I want people to be able to have conversations about familiar materials. I want them to be drawn into the object, questioning its authenticity or even validity as an art object. "

"Shrieking Violet", Brass, powder coat, reactive dye, plastic, human hair, gum, 4" x 4" x .5", 2024

NYCJW24 @ UrbanGlass, Simon Leung

What connection(s) does your queerness make to the world around you?

"Like many, I found it difficult to exist as a young queer person. Not fitting into a mold so forcefully pushed upon us felt like a sort of failure. As I allowed myself to live fully as the Queer Dyke that I am, I found such a tremendous amount of joy and love. Being a lesbian is something that I would never trade for anything. I love the connections that I can build with my other queer siblings and elders in passing down stories, goals, and joy."