genevieve desotelle
is an artist and designer currently based in Minneapolis, MN
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Born and raised in Milwaukee, WI, Genevieve moved to Minneapolis to attend the University of Minnesota to attain her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Desotelle received warnings throughout life that she was not allowed to be a teacher by her mother, who was, in fact, a teacher herself. At first, she pursued a Graphic Design degree but soon realized she wanted to make. Her work is multidisciplinary, taking the form of whatever medium would suit an idea best. Major themes in her work are sexuality, feminism, critique of a catholic upbringing, and comedy. Desotelle is inspired daily by significant figures like Yayoi Kusama and Lady Gaga, both women of immense talent and dedication to their craft. She is also widely inspired by different forms of social media and popular culture. She has worked as an intern at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery, where she assisted with the installation of many notable exhibitions, (Queer Forms, NCECA 2019, The Beginning of Everything) under the leadership of Howard Oransky and Teréz Iacovino, as well as designing her BFA Capstone’s exhibition website. Her goal is to one day animate an iconic comedy series and be loved by the masses.
artist statement
I am inspired by powerful women! My practice aims to normalize and celebrate femininity for those who have felt it stripped of them. Art is how I heal myself. I break boundaries by talking about sex the way I never was able to while growing up in a catholic school environment. I think obsessively about my body- my vulva, my breasts, my stomach, my muscles- always feeling insecure and sexualized by anyone other than me. I celebrate women by celebrating myself and becoming a beacon of self-love so that we may all celebrate our femininity together. Through my narrative installation work, I reclaim my sexuality, in all shapes and forms, and the sexuality of all others that are denied by society today. I am creating spaces where color, texture, and simple imagery immerses the viewer in my feminine spaces. I am strongly influenced by my catholic upbringing-whether I like it or not. I choose to be inspired by the camp in Catholicism- the gorgeous embellishments, knick-knacks, depictions of stories, and over the top materiality. They would always preach humility and the pointlessness of objects and yet our church was filled with gold accessories. I am the focus of my work so that my viewers associate me with my work. I crave the connection that I feel when I see someone else’s work and it perfectly describes something I could not before. By making my viewer laugh, smile, think critically, they are able to fully experience the work through their senses. I have found that humor and parody is the easiest way to swallow big topics I was once afraid of. As I experience life, I will continue to do work that represents myself and others who struggle, whether that be a recovering catholic or someone who needs to touch everything around them.. I am making work for all the little girls out there who don’t understand anything but fear. Fear of themselves, fear of authority, fear of femininity. My mantra is: I am a soft, sexy, pink woman who is, first and foremost, the patron saint of self-love and feminine healing- make something important, be the powerful woman.