Rosary Solimanto

About the Artist

In her work, the interdisciplinary activist-artist Rosary Solimanto explores the oppression and societal stigmas associated with living with multiple sclerosis. She encourages political and social discourse on disABILITY identity and approaches biology, healthcare, and medicine from a humanitarian perspective. Solimanto is an emerging artist who graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2015. Since then, she has exhibited and/or performed across the United States, and in Toronto, London, Greece, China, and Spain at eleven international museums and numerous international art festivals. Awards include the Unlimit Fellowship from Art OMI; Kulakoff Award at SUNY Albany; and the Sojourner Truth Fellowship at SUNY New Paltz, New York. She was a selected participant for the activist program, Emerge NYC, at New York University and recently completed an international artist residency at Art OMI, in Ghent, NY. Her artworks have been featured in Art in America Magazine and Hyperallergic. Her public political performances have been in newspapers across the world. She currently lives and works in the New York’s metropolitan area.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Historically, the social injustice of disability identity was constructed from eugenics programs and institutionalized biomedical infrastructure. Art on this subject is overdue, and, if shared, will reveal prejudicial misconceptions that will help the effort to advocate for disability pride and awareness. If art does not explore the oppressive stigmatizations associated with disability identity, objectification and perfectibility of the human body will continue to prevail. I source my material from exposures of the social, political, and medical conflicts I face with multiple sclerosis. My art transforms space, allowing the audience to become voyeurs as they enter my private medical world and I expose heightened oppressive realities and truths.

Artist's Poem

Oppression of Illness

my soul frequents excursions rising out of my body purging Veracious Screams.

I AM VICTIM of Men,
Medical Infrastructure
Enforcement
Lords

A product of Frankensteins
stitched inside
broken in all sorts of wrong
wrapped in plastics, metals, pollution, engineering and monsanto's seeds.

The ground cracks, opens at my feet
rich filthy white gloved hands reach out --------

pulling
forcing
Enslaving my body to provide money
and wither my will.

I ingest, inject, inhale,
the intricate web of eugenics
coming at me with knives & poisons

Am I even real
are my thoughts my own
Trapped within this eternal shared misery and fear

but you! comrades! you do not speak!
------- ---- ---- --- ---
--- --- I know you are there

(my exhaustive efforts seem uselessly insane)

intensely onward
I will perpetually bellow
to compel you, to speak with me.

for others -
LISTEN
and do not see.