"Rezbians" by Carmen Selam
Risolana Artist-in-Residence Program
Book launch and exhibition

at Fourteenfifteen Gallery
Opening Reception: Friday, Nov 10, 6-9pm
Closing Reception: Friday, Dec 1, 6-9pm

Growing up on the reservation, Selam lacked access to media that reflected her experiences as an Indigenous Queer woman. In "Rezbians," (40 pages, edition of 200) Selam has written and illustrated a slice-of-life art comic that delves into the contemporary lives of two characters navigating young love on the rez. "Rezbians" is more than just a comic; it is a celebration of Indigenous culture and love, a reflection of personal experiences, and love of the self. Selam's aim for "Rezbians" is to create visibility of the everyday realities of Indigenous Queer/Two-Spirit people and the relationships they inhabit.

This limited edition artist comic book presented at the final show is the culmination of work created during Risolana’s 2023 Artist-in-Residence Program. The Risolana residency explores meditations on community, dialogue, and reflection and provides artists with hands-on support for learning how to print with a risograph machine.

Carmen Selam was born and raised on the Yakama Reservation located in Washington State. She is an enrolled member of the 14 Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation and is also of Comanche descent. Selam attended the Oregon College of Art and Craft located in Portland, Oregon prior to graduating with her BFA in studio arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. Selam is a multi-disciplinary artist who creates paintings, prints, and installations. Selam currently lives and works on her ancestral homelands on the Yakama Reservation.

Risolana is a community risograph studio located in the South Valley, New Mexico. We see printmaking as a versatile tool for community dialogue where personal and collective expression meet. By providing hands-on access to and training for this unique printing method, Risolana works to encourage ideas, create engaging work, and cultivate an artmaking space as accessible as the risograph itself. Inspired by the New Mexican concept of la resolana, our resolana is a two-page spread open to the sun.

www.risolana.org