billy (they/them)

I’m am a maker born in 1980, and I’m based in Chicago. I have experienced pain and confusion from neglect throughout my life, as well as the physical and mental health issues that relate. On top of this I was diagnosed ASD 1 and ADHD inattentive in 2022. Because of this, my social life and identity can be difficult to grasp, but practicing has been the most productive method for finding myself. I like to research time, the idea of perfection, performance, dependence, liberation, and why these concepts hold strong. Process and making visuals and sounds have always taken precedence over completing work, being an “artist”, and being “somebody”. Practicing, studying, and making are all close to my heart. I’m influenced by realness, kindness, journalism, story telling, and simplicity. I look to the past in hopes to understand the present, and hope for the future to be filled with healing and progress.

While analog photography and moving image fill most of my portfolio, I am not limited and enjoy drawing, painting, collaging, singing, collaborating, and whatever else might work best for each idea. The more I learn, the more I dissect my understanding of self, where I have come from, and whom I will be within my work. Over the years I have also gained some direction and re-search for more. I am unlearning my unlearning.