Rose Wood

Rose Wood by Eli Schmidt

Being known as “The Queen of Filth” isn’t something that happens overnight; for Wood, it’s taken years. Known for her extreme physical acts that are meant to strike an emotional nerve, the performance artist addresses a number of issues in her work, including variant gender identities, societal constructs, under-represented individuals and hidden personal struggles. As an artist, Wood says that her passion for art comes from the healing nature it brings to the world, especially during or after a particularly rough time. An artist is “an essential worker,” she says, but unlike doctors or even teachers, artists “have the job of restoring the often dented and bruised humanity of our audience.” For the past 14 years, Wood has headlined both the New York and London locations of The Box, a theater of varieties. She was also awarded the “Queer Icon” by the Guadalajara International Film Festival in 2018. Looking forward, Wood believes that “our community [which] has formed as a response to trauma, plague, and oppression… can also be unified in homage to the great members of the community.” In doing so, “we can be united by honoring and recognizing our unique value to our society.” —IL

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