Some Serious Business presents #FiftyQuestions to highlight folks who are creating, presenting, questioning and critiquing. Each featured artist picks a handful of questions to answer.
Ahjo is a neuro different, gender queer, pansexual, elemental creature, residing for more than 25 years on Tewa land at O’gha Po’oge—White Shell Water Place—now called Santa Fe, New Mexico. Ahjo’s ancestors, primarily Lithuanian and Norwegian, migrated to the Chicago area.
Ahjo calls themselves a SomaticEarth Artist and uses all mediums to express both the tension and wonderment of this relationship.
They are currently working on a book, EarthBodyBoat: Journey of a SomaticEarth Artist. All of Ahjo’s art arises out of their InBodyNature practice. They will be answering the questions from the perspective of the different voices in the book.
“Kekekekkaah”
Let out a sigh sound. “Ahhh…”
Hold Belly, and say out loud: “Hello, beloved Belly“ and whatever sound comes from Belly.
Let Hands stroke down to somewhere on Pelvic Bones. Let an “Oooo…” sound vibrate.
Speak,“Hello beautiful Boat. Please hold and carry us through this moment.”
Pause,
Feel,
Sense,
Sink.
Eyes look down to find Feet and Toes. Notice what we’re standing on. Release more sound.
Sink to Rise.
Bring attention and Hands up to Heart area. Let Mouth and Face respond to Feelings.
8- What are habitual internal fears and bogeymen that come up for you around making art – excluding universal concerns of time, space, money, in/adequacy, and recognition?
14- What role does your genetic or cultural background play in your practice?
19- Who has been your greatest mentor, living or dead, real or imaginary?
26- Is destruction a positive phenomenon for you?
32- How has your years in artmaking affected or influenced your sense of self?
34- Have you ever had a physical illness, event, or impediment that has changed how you make or approach artmaking? And how?
Now,
We Three cannot stay in these given lines of inquiry. But that does not mean we will not answer your questions.
This is new to speak and be seen from our whole plural self—who you would call they them their.
We seek healing. We seek healing from the wounding of binary thinking, forced upon us. This wound of separation of our multiple selves is mirrored in all of today’s structures and systems, including the art world. “Divide and conquer” is as old as burning and slaughtering those who dance naked with Animals; words flinging from Bodies like silk Spider thread creating visions of delight. And, our sibling Trees encircle us with their laughter and songs, while grandparent Stone and Fire record all for future generations to find.
Ironically, to heal these inner divides, We Three first had to untangle from each other, and give breathing room and space for our individual voices. We also found healing and strength in knowing what contains us all. We first thought it was a book. Then it was the building of a Nest to sit inside so we could feel safe to feel. Then the Nest shifted to the sensation that our psychic boundaries are a Boat that allows us to move forward in life while also being a Tree of Life. A Boatnest with Legs we became—also known by us as Earthbodyboat.
And in that becoming we found remembrance of our two ancestral lines, the Nordic of deep Fjords and the Lithuanian Baltic lands of Rivers and Trees. Boats are the natural expression of these places. Perhaps these first vehicles were originally designed to also honor human capacity to shapeshift and the journeys taken with the spirits of Serpent, Deer, Wolf and Winged Ones. There is grieving to be done for how Boats were enslaved to be the vehicle that spread this disease of binaries to the so-called Americas. There’s so, so much grieving and untangling to make right.
Listen. We hear some of our voices:
Wounded child: Is this art? Do we belong here?
Crone:
Crone:
You are art! We eat bogeymen and birth them to make them useful! Everything is useful. Even your own perceived nightmares, illness and depressive states. You’re fools to waste these tasty meats. Yes you/we belong here.
Body/Art:
Body/Art:
Though we have been brought to Ground over and over again
From tightness in Skull, Thigh Bones too heavy to lift
Tiredness running through Blood like a haunting
Have we not also found down here
Roots that connect
Aroma of Soil that brings intoxication
Where we thought drought reigns
Waters that lubricate
Wild flowers growing from our graves
And the Creature We Must Become
Wounded child:
Wounded child:
I did not want to follow you into these dark caved forest places. Our mama taught us to fear You, Crone of Body. I remember floating into this life in Your vessel, my whole body oozing with sensations, skin alive to every touch. Mama snatched all that away and put scary guardians at my Cave to keep me from entering. I learned from her to fear us and what lives here inside.
Crone:
Stay. You belong here. Inside. Us.
Stay. You belong here. Inside. Us.
Stay. You belong here. Inside. Us.
Eternal queer child (not separate):
Eternal queer child (not separate):
Yes you/we belong here!
Let them call us names, unholy, dirty, nasty…
Though their noses crinkle in disgust
We chant, “Naa na naa na, you can’t catch us!”
We dance naked in Mud, we crawl on top of your cars
We fill cracks with green Wildness
With smiles radiating from all our Flesh
Fists raised to Sky
Feet firmly sprouting from roof Mountaintop
Pelvis thumps
We cheer together
“We will not go away!”
Performance of Offerings of Sound and Prayer from our Baba Yaga
Visit Ahjo’s website for updates on the release of EathBodyBoat as well as other projects.