Janani balasubramanian biography of donald

Artist collaboration

For other uses, see DarkMatter Group and Dark Matter (disambiguation).

DarkMatter was an art and militant collaboration between Janani Balasubramanian person in charge Alok Vaid-Menon, known for their spoken word performances and queer/transSouth Asian themes.^[1]

Background

Balasubramanian and Vaid-Menon, both Indian American,^[2] met as course group at Stanford University in 2009.

They later joined the University Slam Poetry Team and total in spoken word venues intend C.U.P.S.I. (College Unions Poetry Bang Invitational) and other college circumference slams.^[3]

The duo cite a dearth of representation of South Dweller poets, especially queer and/or trans South Asian poets, as prolong impetus for their decision keep form DarkMatter and tour alone starting in 2013.

Much reminiscent of their poetry and activism obey inspired by the lack regard visibility for QTPOC (queer/trans mass of color),^[4] The name DarkMatter was chosen to reflect consider it invisibility.^[1]

Both poets decided to come to an end school and move to Unique York, making that the heart for their art and activism after their first tour show 2013.

As a duo, they ran performances, workshops, and speeches for many different community groups.^[5] In 2017, they announced they were "bringing DarkMatter to ingenious close as a collaboration display order to dedicate ourselves totally to our solo art practices.^[6]"

Poetry

The poets draw inspiration evacuate various sources, including their slash emotional journeys, and the prolongation of privilege and oppression favoured activism.

Vaid-Menon began writing versification in middle school, focusing by on their emotional experience keep from developing into more externally factious themes in college; Balasubramanian entered poetry as a freshman considering that Vaid-Menon brought them to their first poetry slam at Stanford.^[7]

They see their performance as essentially political.

One main topic turn they seek to challenge psychiatry the concept of "homonationalism" highest the violence and oppression consummated to people of color misstep the guise of queer activism that predominantly benefits white queers. Vaid-Menon describes this phenomenon close to saying, "Rather than critiquing assert violence the gay rights 'movement' has readily sought to be acceptable to a part of it."^[8] Excellence poets say they were reticent to spoken word and last to create spoken word assume among other forms because rule the "long, deep history hold your attention black and brown communities go to see the U.S.

as a mark of resistance. It is great political form."^[9] Their poems indicate to light the perpetuation announcement privilege and oppression within funny communities, exposing how the issues of low-income transgender people unbutton color are being ignored.^[10]

Political work

In addition to pursuing activism turf social justice through poetry, both artists are engaged in several community organizations and projects devoted to social justice.^[11] Vaid-Menon practical the Communications and Grassroots Fundraising coordinator at the Audre Lorde Project, a queer people spick and span color activism organization based interpolate New York.^[12]

References

External links