Özden & Macias: ON EARTH WE BRIEFLY OPEN OUR EYES
ON EARTH WE BRIEFLY OPEN OUR EYES
Writings by Alexis Ozden @a.ozden
Art by Sophia Macias @seisenbart
Alexis Özden (Öz) is an organizer and mixed-media artist who explores generational trauma, somatic healing, and gender expression in their work. With an expertise in poetry/spoken word and an enthusiasm for collages and relief printing, Öz challenges the admirer to be introspective and critical of the systems from which they are entrenched, by facilitating a “third” space that actively breaks down the emotional, physical, and spiritual barriers that traditionally limit the actualization of one's identity.Öz currently facilitates the Nashville Radical Library, which is a radical lending library located at Random Sample. Öz also routinely hosts and participates in communal discussions and spoken-word events that take place throughout the city, namely in association with WXNA-101.5 FM, the Nashville Poetry Library, and A Place to Scream. They are also a member of the COOP Gallery.
Sophia Macias (Eisenbart) is an artist and educator living and working in Clarksville, TN. Sophia’s artwork is a reflection of her “proof of existence”—her Hispanic cultural heritage and personal experiences blended with contemporary techniques. She aims to connect with a person’s emotional intelligence through her collage, mixed media and fine arts paintings.