Madi Weber
They/Them
Brooklyn, NY, US
Madi Weber (they/them) or Mix n Mad is a queer artist from the South who’s currently creating in Bushwick, NY. Their inner child’s imagination lives and breathes in the creation of bold, bright glass beads and the adornments they make with them. Madi uses colorful, often mismatched components to inspire play and challenge perfectionism in themself and the people who witness their designs. They have been flameworking for two years and have participated in four exhibitions for their glass work including their debut in NYC Jewelry Week 2024 for Queerphoria: Volume 4. They are a multidisciplinary artist which includes the medium of performance art and are currently taking a drag class with Brooklyn Arts Exchange.
“This piece captures a moment of queer mischief and whimsy. The design was created through meditating on and experimenting with the adornment I want to see in the world. This work is made to be flexible and transformative through the multiple ways it can be worn. The long single cord can be wrapped around like a scarf, can be folded over to create a loop that the 2 beaded cords can be fed through to create a bolo-like design, or can be latched to the neckline to create a sort of beaded bow. As a genderqueer artist, this piece is intended to complement the outfit you are flexing or the gender you are expressing. It is not one single thing, it is so many things, with so many colorful components.”
How does your work relate to the theme of flourish(ing)?
“To flourish is to thrive beyond mere survival. It is to continue growing and evolving despite so many obstacles. It is to be joyful amongst so much pain. For many of my adult years, I had forgotten how to play, to be curious, and to simply act on that curiosity. Through connecting with my queerness and to my truest self, I have allowed myself to reach for joy and pleasure beyond survival. This work was a way for me to continue playing with color, with shape and form, with the ways I want to adorn my body. I used to conform to the ways I thought I was supposed to look, to the ways my clothes should fit, to the ways my hair should be cut, but now I get to play and find joy in the ways I accessorize and make myself look more like me by the things I wear. This work is a reflection of that progress and showing the world your truest self is a reflection of flourishing."
"Beyond", Leather cord, stainless steel, soft glass 80" x .6" (when laid out long), 2025
“Flameworking and working with glass is not a necessary action to live, but it is a practice that has given me life and allowed me to grow and discover more about myself. It allows me to play with fire, a dangerous and exhilarating ritual which encourages my curiosity and wonder of the world. Working with glass, for me, is a process of making mistakes and transforming mistakes into something special and unique. As a recovering perfectionist, this practice has taught me to allow mistakes to happen because it can lead to growth and new creation.”
How does your creative practice allow you to flourish (grow, thrive, blossom)?
As a queer+ artist, what would you like to see and/or what do you need in order to flourish during this time?
“To flourish during this time, I need queer community, hope, art, and dancing. I would like to see folks continue to come together to fight against the racist, fascist, transphobic people in power and know that we can find safety and gentleness in our communities when it feels so easy to isolate. For me, action and connection to others is the best tool for transforming doom into hope”
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“Most of the beads featured in this piece were created during a week-long residency at Arrowmont for Pentaculum in Gatlinburg, TN. This piece was specifically made for Queerphoria Volume 5: Flourish.”
Photographs Courtesy of the Artist