Introducing Photographer of the Week, J Houston.

Of their practice J writes: Relying on photographic practice, my images make possibilities out of the interior and mundane. Physical space dedicated to our community is rare, and through photo, video, and installation, my work documents how we occupy what’s left: domestic space, relationships, and performativity. Considering my own body a physical space, the work also sits at the intersection of transmasculinity and chronic illness. Image-making and self-determination are critical to these private and public spaces, and my practice uses a lens of magical realism to root itself in this belief.

J Houston was born in Kalamazoo, MI and studied art and gender theory at Carnegie Mellon University. They were an artist-in-residence at Otis College of Art, The Growlery, and Vermont Studio Center and anticipate residency at Byrdcliffe at Woodstock, Anderson Ranch, and the Elizabeth Murray Foundation next year. J has received grants from Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry, Adobe, Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, and Carnegie Mellon University, and their images made with the trans community have been a finalist for Duke CDS Essay Prize, Robert Giard Grant, and Silver Eye Center for Photography’s Fellowship. Their work has been shown at Houston Center for Photography, Turner Contemporary, Aviary Gallery, Amos Eno Gallery, CONTACT Gallery, Miller Institute of Contemporary Art, Siena Heights University, and New York Photo Festival, among others. J currently teaches photography to youth and community members, and in 2021, they will have a solo exhibition at The Java Project in Brooklyn, NY.