Cut me cactus, 2023

Ignite Gallery, Toronto

In "Cut Me Cactus," the performer embodies the resilience of a desert succulent, donning pin-studded green gloves and mask that serve as both armor and metaphor. Moving through a space filled with balloons containing suppressed emotions, they enact a ritual of calculated destruction. Each balloon burst creates a startling soundscape that mirrors the displacement and disorientation of trauma survival. The tension between the protective spines and vulnerable balloons creates a powerful meditation on healing, where silence transforms into expression. Through this durational performance, the artist invites witnesses into the complex territory between protection and release, crafting an intimate portrait of survival in hostile environments.