Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.7, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.6, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.4, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.3, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.2, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.1, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x 5 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa No. 4 (Oranges are not the only fruit), 2023
Glazed porcelain, with underglaze silkscreen print decal transfer, 16 x 16 x 3 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa No. 25 (Crush), 2023,
Glazed porcelain, with underglaze silkscreen print decal transfer, 15 x 11 x 3 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.13, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.12, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.8, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.11, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12.5 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.10, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulation Fantabulosa Monstera No.9, Glaze, underglaze decal transfer prints, slip and sgraffitto on ceramic, 12 x 9 x .25 inches

Confabulations and Fantabulosas

This ongoing series of sculptural portraits that explore the interplay between identity, memory, and erasure. These works began with a single printed portrait, layered and transformed through successive applications of imagery, obliterating and reimagining the figure. Using slab-built clay as a substrate, I applied silkscreen-printed underglaze decals and sgraffito techniques, incorporating ad-hoc repairs and textures that evoke the patina of urban graffiti. The resulting assemblages are fragmented, layered constructions—abstracted portraits that celebrate the resilience of the queer and peculiar.

At the heart of *Confabulations + Fantabulosas* lies a fascination with the “monstrous” as metaphor. Iconic figures like Frankenstein, Dracula, and the Wolfman serve as archetypal symbols of the other, resonating deeply with experiences of marginalization, especially within LGBTQ+ communities. These monsters, with their misunderstood and multifaceted natures, reflect both the vulnerability and strength inherent in queer identities. Their campy, enigmatic allure offers a lens through which I explore themes of survival, transformation, and reclamation.

The process itself mirrors the act of confabulation—a creative reimagining of historical gaps and erasures. Each layer builds upon and obscures the image below, revealing a pentimento of the obscured portrait, much like memories or histories that refuse to remain hidden. The surfaces are at once celebratory and veiled, speaking to the ways queer identities navigate visibility and invisibility.

Drawing inspiration from my childhood fascination with classic horror films like *Nosferatu* and *House of Wax*, I reframe these creatures as powerful, defiant symbols of otherness. Monsters, in their transgressive beauty, offer a profound metaphor for those of us who have been singled out, erased, or misunderstood. By embracing the monstrous, we reclaim the strength to resist and thrive in the face of societal pressures.

Through large-scale ceramic works, this series illuminates the beauty in the unconventional, inviting viewers to confront cultural constructs that define identity. By layering historical revisions (*Confabulations*) and fabulous imaginings (*Fantabulosas*), these works embody the vibrant, transformative power of queer storytelling.

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Critical CONFABULATION a term coined by the scholar Saidiya Hartman, it refers to a style of creative semi-nonfiction that attempts to fill gaps in one’s history and to make visible that which has been erased.

Confabulations and Fantabulosas

Critical CONFABULATION a term coined by the scholar Saidiya Hartman, it refers to a style of creative semi-nonfiction that attempts to fill gaps in one’s history and to make visible that which has been erased.

FANTABULOSAS is an invented wordplay from Polari, a code-switching rhyming slang used by British gay men until the 1970s.