Phatsoane Henney New Breed

This triptych of reduction lino and embossing critiques the church's relationship with the queer community. The reversed positions of Adam and Eve, juxtaposed with genitalia of the opposite sexes, divulge the fluidity of gender.

Although the church has come a long way, members of the queer community continue to experience a sense of detachment. This detachment is mimicked in the process of carving a lino — removing something to create a perceived perfect image.

The print is in a story format, referencing historical forms of religious storytelling that may be experienced as contrived and oversimplified, re-enforcing set rules and stereotypes regarding sex and gender — rules that damage and isolate people who do not conform to them.