ABOUT
Joaquin Gonzales is a Meanjin (Brisbane) based artist whose practice focuses predominantly on self identity in relation to his personal experience as a lapsed Catholic. Responding to his upbringing in a traditional Filipino home, his practice is heavily informed by Roman Catholic ideology. Aiming to incite dialogue in regards to the somewhat unquestioned absurdity of organised religion and the existence of an omnipotent deity, his work addresses his ever-changing relationship with Catholicism through sculpture and installation. Often recontextualising everyday objects through the integration of Catholic iconography and symbolism, Joaquin emphasises an almost comedic link between religious tradition and modern living.
Joaquin has recently graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Visual Arts) at Queensland University of Technology. In the final year of his degree, he interned House Conspiracy which led to him joining the team as a board member. Since graduating, he has undertaken volunteer positions with Outer Space ARI and the Institute of Modern Art. In early 2020, Joaquin co-founded Nextdoor, a Meanjin based Artist Run Initiative.