Zavisha Chromicz
Zavisha Chromicz (b. 1972, Poland) self-identifies as a queer fat trans mixed Roma self-taught artist who has been making community-based mixed media and fibre art for over 20 years. They have consistently made art as a medicine for survival. Their work explores disability in throwaway culture and the joy of queer debauchery, and honours the survivors of childhood and ancestral trauma. Early collaborators includes Will Munro.
They have worked on numerous community and fibre-based projects that explore trauma healing through pleasure, decadence and queer family making, colonialism and sexual violence, and disability justice. From 2003-2006 Chromicz was a member and co-facilitator of West Side Stitches, a queer punk makers collective by Will Munro and Jeremy Laing. Participants used and taught stitching, embroidery, applique, faggoting and many other fabric art and costuming techniques to make street art, costumes, installations and public art. From 2015-2016 Chromicz collaborated with Leroi Newbold on the Freedom Fighter Puppetry series for Black Lives Matter, Toronto.
In their exhibition, The calming beauty of the body's molecular landscape (2022) at Paul Petro Contemporary Art, developed in the snippets of time available to the parent of young kids during a pandemic lockdown, Chromicz addresses the fear and chaos around COVID-19. While indulging in late-night doomscrolling to research the biology of the coronavirus, they came upon a breathtaking NASA image of a human cell which inspired the work in the exhibition.
Solo projects and exhibitions
2022
Mother Load: The challenge of suturing the mitochondrial tear, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
The calming beauty of the body’s molecular landscape, Paul Petro Contemporary Art, Toronto
2017- present
Opulent Debauchery
Large scale mixed media sculpture project (porcelin, clay, metal) exploring trauma healing through pleasure, decadence and queer family making.
2013-2014
Jellyfish Recycled Sculptures
Sculptures made recycled plastics, spoons, bottles documenting mental health struggles.
2013
Colonialism In A Nutshell
Exploration of colonialism and sexual violence through embroidery and fabric art
2012
The Fungi
soft sculpture, textile arts, embroidery
exploration of queer/ trans family formation and trauma healing
2011
Pierogi Ring
Hamburger Ring
Brass Knuckle Ring Against Fat Hate
Silver, silversmithing, jewelry
2007-2011
Heart Attack, Graphic and costume art, clothing line exploring fat queer identity
2010
Fancyland Plates, Arcata, CA.
I made 100 fired and hand painted ceramic plates for 10th year anniversary of Fancyland radical queer rural community
Baba Yaga, Mixed media sculpture in leatherwork and textile using story of Baba Yaga to explore healing sexual abuse trauma
1998-2005
Chubbalicious, Visual art, costuming, public/street art, stickering exploring fat queer bodies and biopolitics
2000
Chubbalicious, solo show, The Horseshoe, Toronto ON
Collaborative and Group Projects and Exhibitions
2015-2016
Freedom Fighters collaboration with Leroi Newbold, Toronto, ON.
Puppetry series for Black Lives Matter Toronto. Ten puppets and soft sculpture of Black activists, artists and historical figures, including Nanny of the Maroons, Marie Angelique, Leroy Moore, and more. Collaboration with visual artist Leroi Newbold.
2012
Will Munro: HISTORY, GLAMOUR, MAGIC, Art Gallery of York University, Toronto, ON
I contributed a piece to the posthumous survey exhibition
2008-2011
Sins Invalid sculpture and costumes, San Francisco,CA.
In collaboration with Nomy Lamm. Large scale sculptures including nest of leg protheses and costuming for disability justice performance art pieces Belly Up, Ring of Fire and Nobody Knows.
2003-2004
Virginia Puff Paint, in collaboration with Will Munro and Jeremy Lang, Zsa Zsa Gallery, Toronto ON.
2000-2009
Vazaleen, collaboration with Will Munro, Toronto, ON.
I was Will Munro's personal costumer for performance art pieces at Vazaleen, queer punk performance space in Toronto. Costuming, textile arts, soft sculpture, installation art.
Community Based Arts
2003-2006
West Side Stitches
Collective member and co-facillitator of this fabric art queer punk makers collective by Will and Jeremy Lang. Participants used and taught stitching, embroidery, applique, faggoting and many other fabric art and costuming techniques to make street art, costumes, installations and public art.
1997-2005
Complex Stitches, 2490 St Clair West Supportive Housing.
I created and funded out of pocket this fabric and costume art project in my social housing building, housing poor and/or psychiatric consumer/survivors. I taught kids ages 5-10 how to sew, applique, make art and did an annual fashion show.
Artist Talks
2022
Shifting Ground Symposium, Material and the Immaterial: Textile Works by Omar Badrin and Zavisha Chromicz, Harbourfront Centre in partnership with Craft Ontario, conceived of and moderated by former Textile Museum of Canada Curatorial Director Sarah Quinton
YP&C Meet the Artist: Zavisha Chromicz, exhibition tour and talk at Paul Petro Contemporary Art, hosted by the Canadian Society of Decorative Arts and coordinated by Gilles Latour
2009
Street Involved Kids and Art, Sherbourne Health Center, Supporting Our Youth, Toronto, ON.
2006
Buddies in Bad Times Theater, Toronto ON, with Andrea Ridegely.
Education
I am a self-taught artist who has taught myself from books, observation and experimentation.
2018
Pottery, Alex Yeung Studio, Toronto ON
2011
Silversmithing class, Toronto ON
2000
OCAD, Toronto ON
Bibliography
The Cripsters: Zavisha Chromicz on Process and PTSD, (2022) by Terence Dick for Akimblog
Hudson, Audrey. (2019). "Integrating Black Lives in Education: Black Lives Matter Freedom School". (Chapter 7). The Spaces and Places of Canadian Popular Culture. Edited by Victoria Kannen, Neil Shyminsky. Published by Canadian Scholars.
E.B., Mike. (2004). "Westside Stitchers' Couture Club: Guerrilla fashion collective founded by Will Munro and Jeremy Laing". hive , (3), pg. 16–19. Published by Pol Williams, Edited by Nick McCabe-Lokos.
Whittall, Zoe. (2001). "Be Big". Go Big: Life & Style, (3), pg. 18. Published by Pink Triangle Press.