Fruit portraits celebrating queer identity and femininity by lens-based artist Linye Jiang will be on view when the exhibit "Sweet, Juicy, and Rebellious" opens Thursday, Sept. 26 at Northwestern University's Dittmar Gallery. The exhibit continues through Monday, Oct. 21.

Jiang's artistic practice includes photo sculptures, installations, videos and performance that highlight qualities of objects that are overlooked or underappreciated. "I want my work to spark curiosity and offer a new perspective of qualities that are unconventional and feminine," Jiang said.

In addition to Jiang's photo sculptures of fruits, the exhibit will include two videos that reflect on the subtle, yet profound effects of touch. In "Tenderness," a hand gently caresses a soft object in water, transitioning from black and white to color. The second video, "Warmth," captures the gradual transformation of a frozen object as it responds to warmth.

Born in Sichuan, China, and raised in Shenzhen, Jiang's work explores themes of gender roles, the evolution of cultural heritage in contemporary culture and the dynamics of personal versus public identity. She is influenced by personal experiences and observations, particularly her family's queer story within a conservative society. Jiang holds an MFA in photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

An opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 26 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. will include a talk by Jiang and Marvin Veloso, an artist and researcher based in Chicago focused on the visual cultures of social and ecological justice.

On Thursday, Oct. 10 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Dittmar Gallery will host a special program with Veloso, who will incorporate poetry and literature into an exhibition-inspired performance.

Dittmar Gallery is located on the second floor of Norris University Center,1999 Campus Drive, on the Evanston campus. For more information visit the Norris Center website.

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