Kalena Marshall Garcia
“good with a camera”

Projects
You Don’t Look Puerto Rican
COMPHET
Learning Solidarity 1 & 2
Arroz y no Gandules
Domino
Sustainable Printing
Video Work
Curation  
Collaborations
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COMPHET


COMPHET is a body of work that delves into the experience of enforced domesticity as a woman and examines how compulsory heterosexuality has influenced my struggles with self-identity and sexuality as a queer woman. At the inception of this series, I had recently exited a three-year relationship and came to the realization that I identified as a lesbian.

These self-portraits were captured in the apartment I shared with my ex-boyfriend, a space that became a significant source of anxiety for me as it served as a constant reminder of how I had conformed to a mold that did not reflect my true self. I created the initial series of prints while still residing in that shared space.

During the process of moving out, I discovered Adrienne Rich's influential essay, Compulsory Heterosexuality. This writing resonated profoundly with my personal experiences and prompted me to revisit the prints on a larger scale. In this revised series, I incorporated Rich's quotes in a manner that emulates a marked-up darkroom print, paralleling my journey of working through personal identity and sexuality through my artistic practice.