Harley Hudson
They/He
Denton, TX, US
Harley Hudson, also known as Mx. Match, is a metalsmith, fiber artist, and drag performer based in DFW. He will receive his BFA in Studio Art with a concentration in Metalsmithing and Jewelry from UNT in May 2026.
“My art addresses themes of sexual identity, body modification, and fantasy. My recent body of work, the ‘Inkblot’ series, explores my uncertainty of how I am perceived and the potential for transformation as a gender nonconforming person through inkblot-like forms. I am interested in comparing the Rorschach inkblot test as a projective tool with trans people as a group often projected upon. By incorporating these forms into jewelry and wearable sculpture, the body becomes the site of scrutiny, speculation, and transmutation.”
www.mxmatchmetal.crd.co
How does your creative practice reflect your experience of living and making as a BIPOC and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ maker?
“My metalwork is heavily influenced by my background as a drag artist and performer, especially with my current focus of making larger metal 'garments' made to be incorporated into a larger cohesive look. Many of my pieces are overtly sexual - expressions of my desire for complete agency over my own body and future as a trans person born and raised in Texas. My Inkblot series in particular is meant to reflect my experience as a visibly trans person, analogizing it to the Rorschach inkblot test. I find the vast range of different interpretations of the inkblots relatable as someone who can be interpreted very differently depending on the day and each person’s unique perspective on gender. I am also inspired by the biological, almost alien visual qualities of the symmetrical blots and tie this to ideas of growth and transformation of sex.”
"Inkblot Mask", Aluminum, powdercoat, 9 x 11 x 6", 2025
What techniques, stories, or materials have been passed down to you, and how are you reimagining them in the present?
“I am very fortunate to be studying metalsmithing and jewelry at the University of North Texas, particularly under James Thurman and Ana Lopez who have encouraged me and helped me develop my unique approach to metalwork. I initially began working with aluminum because of a suggestion from James and it is now my metal of choice for most of my work, and I have learned so much about the unique boundaries, limitations, and room for creative techniques possible when working with aluminum from both of them.''
"Chromosome Earrings", Copper, enamel, 3" x 1", 2025
“I am deeply inspired by the confrontational and unapologetic nature of queer activism and artwork of the 80s and 90s, and view my work as an effort to resist the shift towards palatability seen in contemporary queer culture. I feel that it is my responsibility as an artist in an academic setting (particularly at a university in the South with a growing track record of art censorship) to make and show works that are loudly and obnoxiously queer, in order to create a sense of belonging and understanding among other queer people in my area as well as let our administration know we will not be pushed out of public life so easily.”
How does your work honor those who came before you while forging new pathways for the future?
"Inkblot Bra II", Aluminum, steel, powdercoat, 18 x 18 x 5", 2026
Photographs Courtesy of the Artist