I am interested in creating large-scale painting series that express the frustration and exasperation that queer individuals experience in the face of Catholic guilt and trauma. Catholic guilt is the feeling of excessive shame or guilt due to your actions being deemed as not ‘good’ by the Church's heteronormative standards.

The current series I am creating is designed to narrate the stories of queer adults with the iconography of martyred saints. This portrayal draws a noticeable parallel to the contemporary persecution that the queer community is facing. This persecution echoes the Church’s blissful ignorance towards the suffering of both historical martyrs and the impacted queer individuals that they have profoundly influenced.

I am striving to go beyond commentary on the Church’s lingering guilt and seek to highlight the queer community and encourage acceptance. Being queer is an intricate and nuanced experience, not being able to be defined by the binary of good or bad. Being queer is a contradiction in the best kind of way. My series chooses to embrace the contradictions within the queer narrative and accepts that there is no ‘right’ way to face this journey. It’s a visual testament to the indescribable beauty of the queer experience-an experience that defies any definition. The series promotes understanding that acknowledges the profound joy and occasional sorrow embedded in the diverse tapestry of queer existence.

Artist Statement

HI THERE!

I’m Isabel Wolke, a Mexican-American artist on a perpetual quest to unravel the mysteries of the universe, one brushstroke at a time. I have grown up in Ohio my whole life and have enjoyed living amongst the corn. When I am not creating art I am usually watching horror movies or playing video games with my friends. Movies are a huge influence on not only my work but also my life. I love to review films and talk about their content extensively to those who will listen. I have always been an oddball, but try my best to embrace it and allow it to help me create cool art.

When I am not working on a painting I am usually sketching in my sketchbook. My sketchbook is the way that I observe the world around me and I try to use it as a way of thinking. I write notes, internal monologues, Dungeons and Dragons ideas, and of course lots and lots of doodles. It all helps me creatively process my thoughts and ideas so that they become the backbone for my future paintings.