
Holly Timpener
Writer-in-residence at Historic Joy Kogawa House in November 2024.
Holly Timpener is a non-binary performance artist working in-depth with themes of Queer trauma and Queer resistance. They use performance as a way to challenge and understand their place in this world, and to investigate how Queer people and communities are connected. Performance allows them to confront issues related to gender, intimacy, trauma, and the body by engaging themes of trust, power, control, and consent. These themes are approached from a personal perspective, along with research collected from within Queer communities. One-on-one performances allow them to receive stories and experiences of other Queer folks, which they reflect on and respond to through performative expression.
Timpener is currently investigating internal transformations in durational performance art and its relationship to non-binary and transgender identities. They are interested in finding an accessible language wherein discourses surrounding internal transformations and their connection to non-binary and transgender identity can emerge. They believe it is within the embodiment of affectual transformation that queer resistance is created through performative action. Balancing their personal experience and memories with insight gained through Queer community research, they embody “The Personal Is Political” in a modern sociopolitical context.
During their stay at Historic Joy Kogawa House Holly was performing Challenging Our Place in the World: Performance Art and Internal Transformation. This workshop engaged with participants to create an individualized performance and writing language stemming from internal transformations felt within a performance workshop.