Gaia Gia, OCADU

As a member of the queer community, I grew up struggling to find acceptance at home and at school. My immigrant parents worked hard to support our family, so much of my childhood was spent alone at home. During this time, I found kinship and connection through fantasy media, video games, and online communities. Though these experiences were not face-to-face, they shaped my identity, worldview, and sense of belonging in profound ways. I have always dreamt of a better world, and this informs my exploration of transformation, otherness, and dystopian and utopian worlds. Working primarily in silver and copper, I use traditional jewellery and metalsmithing techniques, sometimes incorporating digital and electronic technologies, to create jewellery and objects that exist between reality and fantasy, and between past and future.

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