existential boner, published by ecal/spbh (2023)

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existential boner is a book about obsessions. Obsessions related to the body, gender identity, sexuality, and desires. Mahalia Giotto, aka Taje, was born in 1992, and was assigned female at birth. Going through several phases of physical transformation – from writing on their skin as a child, to tattoos when they came of age, to eating disorders as an adolescent – they began their transition in 2020. This identity journey lies at the heart of their work, which expresses the incessant thoughts that drive them through a play of superimpositions. Daily observations of the changes they undergo are transcribed in abstract and concrete images and texts. An articulated chaos that reflects the way Taje experiences their transition, with a sculptural approach to the book as a reflection of the bodily changes. The artist explores their desires and fluid identity, while giving visibility to the trans community from which they come.