Esse McChesney (b.1998, Falun) is a textile artist based in Gothenburg, who works mostly with weaving and embroidery. They create textile art that reflects their perspective as a queer trans person. They like to see their art as an example of being — a stamp of the time we live in — demonstrating queer experiences that lay a piece of the puzzle that is the experience of humanity. This perspective is present in their most recurring theme, the feeling of simultaneous longing and worry. Such intertwining opposites are reflected in their work in different forms, like contrasting colors, digital/physical, and play/seriousness.

ARTIST'S INTENT

"I create textile art that reflects my perspective as a queer trans person. I like to see my art as an example of being — a stamp of the time we live in — demonstrating the queer experiences that lay a piece of the puzzle that is the experience of humanity. This feels especially important now in a time where stories like mine are silenced.

This perspective is present in my most recurring theme, the feeling of simultaneous longing and worry. Such intertwining opposites are reflected in my work in different forms, like contrasting colors, digital/physical, and play/seriousness.

I finally started my gender-affirming care in 2023. The themes already represented in my art can now be rediscovered with the new perspective that it is happening in me. Getting out of gender dysphoria has also made my creativity bloom, making space for a renewed interest in the tactile nature of textile".