Biography
Wes Holloway (b. 1984; Katy, Texas) has had a dedication and enthusiasm for the arts extending as far back as he can recall. In 2003, after one year of undergraduate work at The University of Texas-Austin, he broke his C5-C6 vertebrae in a diving accident, suffered a spinal
cord injury, and thus became paralyzed from the chest down. He later returned to complete both his BA and BFA in Studio Art. In professional capacities, he has worked as the Visual Arts Director at the Katy Visual and Performing Arts Center, artist and volunteer manager at ArtReach, and teaching artist for Texas Children’s Hospital bedside Arts In Medicine program. In 2019, Wes was awarded a Creative Access Fellowship and became an artist in residence at The Santa Fe Art Institute. In Spring ‘22, Holloway completed his MFA in Social Practice (with an emphasis on Public Policy) at The Corcoran School of the Arts and Design at The George Washington University. Wes has exhibited across Texas, in Houston, Austin, and Dallas; Gallery 1969 in New York City; Fiendish Plots in Lincoln, Nebraska; The Smithsonian’s Ripley Center in Washington DC; Art Basel in Miami, Florida; and Manchester, United Kingdom.
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Artist Statement
My artwork has been exploring identity and the structures that influence the formation of said identity. I pull questions from my past and personal histories in an attempt to navigate the “how” and the “why” of the personas I have created. Are these common connections, unique one offs, or is each merely a survival tactic? Currently, my work is in flux between painting, collage, conversation, research, learning, and installation. I have no set medium that I see as the best mode of parsing these themes, however, painting seems to be where I land most often. This medium usually leads to a more accessible conversation. I am also now more interested in the intersections of intent/reception and personal/public work. In these visual explorations and conversations, the social and policy topics that have come up revolve around equity in healthcare, presentation of disability, LGBTQ+ cultural preservation/celebration, community living, and access to spaces/services. The phrases “emancipatory practice” and “existence as resistance” resonate with me the most. By sharing personal experiences, I am joining & adding to a lexicon of marginalized voices seeking connection and validation. My goal is to construct a succinct, clear, and confident body of work that will be equal parts education, protest and future policy ideation.