The Grass That Itches My Skin explores the intersection of queer identity, space, and gender binary. My paintings depict softened queer male bodies in rural Aotearoa, creating utopian spaces within traditionally masculine landscapes. This project examines forms of masculinity built through aesthetics, then subverted by queer bodies. Personal and constructed narratives interweave to create narratives of queer intimacy within rural spaces. I utilise ‘delusion’ to make my experiences seem greater than what they were. Delusion and narration are methodologies which extend and contort my experiences of queerness into utopian realms which inform my understanding of space and identity. This research fuses fact and fiction through painting to understand the nuances of my identity from small town to big city.
