In holy.body, at The Clay Studio artist Michael Biello continues his life-long exploration of male intimacy and spirituality through clay, poetry, and performance.
Inspired by the chapels and shrines of his childhood as an altar boy in a Roman Catholic church in an Italian working-class neighborhood of Philadelphia, by his family’s deep roots on Italy’s Adriatic coast, by his queer cultural activism, and by 50 years of creating theatre and performance art, holy.body brings together a tribe of Biello’s imaginary characters – some brothers, some lovers, some saints - in a joyful dance of communal pride. Shedding shame, pushing past censorship, exposing their softness, intimacy, and kindness - as well as their scars. Finding light in a dark homophobic world.
Biello’s long history of building intimate, interactive spaces on stage and in his storefront studios in Noho New York and Old City Philadelphia will be reflected at The Clay Studio – inviting viewers to enter into the sanctuary of his imaginary world.
Biello hand-builds and slip casts his ceremonial figures, vessels and objects, surfacing them with handwritten words from his poems and lyrics, adorning/tattooing them with pencil, pen, paint, glaze, and leaf. Some wear animal masks, incorporate crystal, metal, wood elements into their clay bodies. Others are illuminated from within, costumed with ribbons, lace, and silk.
In harmony with Biello’s longtime commitment to collaboration, holy.body will also feature photographs Thomas Moore snapped in 1980 of Biello’s dramatic ceramic, wood and leather tea set, including a wearable ceramic helmet and codpiece Biello wore to the opening of the Clay 1980 exhibit at the Tyler School of Art. This act, which rattled the conservative crafts community, reinforced his determination to reject censorship and continue on his path of creative self-expression.
In response to recent rulings limiting LGBTQ freedoms and in anticipation of the struggles that lie ahead, Biello embraces the role artists and cultural activists need to play now, continuing to push the limits of creative expression – challenging ongoing inequality, prejudice, censorship, and injustice.
Artist Statement
Through art we heal.
Art has always been my path to finding center in a sometimes-unsettling-ever-changing world. Art is my sanctuary, where I can feel safe in the midst of the madness.
The creative process leads me home.
https://www.instagram.com/michael.biello/
Artist Biography
Michael Biello is an interdisciplinary artist who draws inspiration from his Italian American roots, his passion for theatre, and his longtime commitment to LGBTQ+ cultural activism.
Biello is one of the artisan/makers who helped create the revivals of Old City Philadelphia in the 1970’s and Noho New York in the 1990’s. Biello's work has been exhibited internationally and is in numerous private collections including many in the entertainment industry. In addition to his work in visual art, Biello has a long history as a performance artist and lyricist in collaboration with his life-partner, composer Dan Martin.
Biello is grateful for the inspiration and encouragement he has received from many teachers and mentors including ceramicist William Daley, art historian Helen Drutt, composer/lyricist Maury Yeston, and pleasure activist Annie Sprinkle.
