University Galleries of Illinois State University is presenting Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story through October 16, 2022. I want you to know my story presents recent photographs from St. Louis-based artist Jess T. Dugan’s ongoing Every Breath We Drew series. All events are free and open to the public.
Dugan writes, “My creative practice centers around an exploration of identity—particularly gender and sexuality—through photographic portraiture. Drawing from my experience as a queer, non-binary person, my work is motivated by an existential need to understand and express myself and to connect with others.”
Although Dugan began their Every Breath We Drew series in 2011, this exhibition focuses on photographs made since 2019, particularly those created since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Citing a period of “heightened self-reflection” during the pandemic, Dugan told a PhotoVogue interviewer that they were “thinking about what is lost when we’re not in relationships with other people personally or communally.” Through still lifes, portraits of individuals and couples, and self-portraits, the artist addresses relationships, connection, love, loss, aging, and more.
Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story is organized by Kendra Paitz, University Galleries’ director and chief curator. This exhibition and programming are supported by University Galleries’ grants from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the Alice and Fannie Fell Trust. Dugan’s lecture is co-sponsored by MECCPAC, a Multicultural Center Initiative.
