Narcissister

Narcissister works at the intersection of performance, dance, art, and activism, drawing on her prior experience as a professional dancer and commercial artist to produce a range of media including photography, video art, and experimental music.

Narcissister, the artist’s character, wears her signature mask at all performances and public appearances and employs humor and spectacle to explore sexuality, gender and racial identity. Repurposed from a 1965 wig display form, the mask references predominant, narrow cultural conceptions of femininity and beauty while both drawing in and denying the gaze and access of the viewer. Through humorous punning, the name Narcissister evokes the dysfunction of narcissism while connoting race, sisterhood, and concerns of and beyond the self. Her performances question fetishism, particularly sexual fetishism, and expose and challenge stereotypes, examining representation itself.

Brooklyn, NY
Born 1971, New York, NY
1994 Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, New York, NY
1993 BA Brown University, Providence, RI
1992 University of California, San Diego, CA
1992 La Sorbonne, Paris III, Paris, France

www.narcissister.com

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