The Lewis Center for the Arts’ will present Release the Shame, an exhibition by visually impaired artist/choreographer Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez and neurodivergent artist Branden Wallace that explores the complex concept of “shame.” The work will be on view September 6 through 12 in the CoLab at Lewis Arts complex on the Princeton campus daily 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. On September 6, the two artists will give a talk about their work moderated by dancer and writer Jerron Herman at 7 p.m. with a reception following. The exhibition, conversation, and reception are free and open to the public.
The CoLab is an accessible venue. American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation and open captions will be provided during the opening talk on September 6. Audio description, Braille signage, and tactile experience are embedded in the exhibition. Núñez will be on-site for guided tours, questions, support with the tactile experience, extended audio description, and to answer questions from visitors on Monday, September 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, September 11, from 1 to 4 p.m. Guests in need of other access accommodations are invited to contact the Lewis Center at LewisCenter@princeton.edu at least one week prior to the event date.
A work by Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez in the exhibition “Release the Shame.” Photo by bouvier
In exploring the concept of “shame,” the artists consider how it converges with themes such as sexuality, fear, learning processes, immigration, and productivity in the lives of disabled people. Núñez and Wallace excavate from personal memory how prejudice towards Disability has had a profound impact on their artistic practices and their own self-perception.
Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez was a 2022-24 Princeton Arts Fellow, spending two years in the Lewis Center community teaching and creating new work. He is a visually impaired artist working in choreography, film, sound, installation, and audio description. Núñez is a 2023 Mellon Foundation Grant Recipient, a 2022 Jerome Hill Fellow, a 2022 Dance/USA Fellow, and a 2018 Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art Fellow. His work been presented by Jacob’s Pillow, Abrons Arts Center, The Joyce Theater, Princeton University, The Brooklyn Museum-The Immigrant Artist Biennale, The Kitchen, Danspace Project, Movement Research at The Judson Church, The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art, CUE Art Foundation, Performance Mix Festival, and Battery Dance Festival, among others. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Art In America, The Brooklyn Rail, The Dance Enthusiast, and The Archive: The Leslie-Lohman Museum bi-annual journal. He’s been an artist in residence at Loghaven Artist Residency, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), The Kitchen, Danspace Project, Abrons Arts Center, Movement Research, and Center for Performance Research. In 2023, Núñez was selected by the magazine Art in America as one of “20 New Talent artists on a global scale.” The same year, he was nominated for a “Bessie,” The New York Dance and Performance Awards in the Best Performer category. As a performer, his most recent collaboration includes Dressing Up for Civil Rights by William Pope L, presented at The Museum of Modern Art. In 2020, Núñez was invited by the New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to share his story as disabled and formerly undocumented during Immigrant Heritage Week. He received his American citizenship in 2023 but continues to be an advocate for the rights of undocumented disabled immigrants.
A miniature work by Branden Wallace in the exhibition “Release the Shame.” Courtesy of Branden Wallace
Branden Charles Wallace holds a B.F.A., M.F.A. and a B.S. in biochemistry. Wallace has utilized their neurodivergence disabilities as a guide to different perspectives. Their practice is creating congruous work from the discord and discomfort of new information, what they describe as “a haptic harmony of cognitive dissonance.” Wallace is the recipient of the Disability. Dance. Artistry. Dance and Social Justice Fellowship from Dance/NYC in 2020 and 2023. They curated the 2017 exhibition Expanding Vision at Leslie-Lohman Museum. As designer in residence for the disabled multidisciplinary project led by Núñez, Wallace has presented their design work at Danspace Project, The Kitchen, The LGTBQ+ Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Princeton University, and Abrons Arts Center, among others.
Jerron Herman, who will moderate the artists’ talk, is a dancer and writer who creates images of freedom. His process is supported by personal histories and social legacies of disability aesthetics that undermine notions of production in favor of inclusion and welcoming. The nuanced pieces Herman exhibits contend with an early childhood desire to create many worlds in which others inhabit.
Visit the Lewis Center website to learn more about the Princeton Arts Fellowships, the Lewis Center for the Arts, and the more than 100 public performances, exhibitions, readings, screenings, concerts, lectures, and special events presented by the Lewis Center each year, most of them free.
