Scissor Siblings is a social practice art workshop born in response to the Trump-era executive order aiming to narrowly define sex as strictly male or female—an attack on the legal recognition of trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse communities. In defiance of such erasure, this zine-making space invites participants to collectively create, network, and reclaim their narrative, building community through art.
Centering the lived experiences of QTPOC+ communities, the workshop uses collage, zines, and mixed-media to explore identity, challenge stigma, and honor the history of gender variance—especially within Latinx and Indigenous traditions.
Rooted in queer and collective futurity, Scissor Siblings is a brave space for imagining liberated worlds where gender fluidity and multiplicity are celebrated as we shred up gender norms. Participants are encouraged to bring collage materials to share with the collective.
Participant Bios:
Daniel “Chino” Rodriguez crafts dynamic energy intersectional programs through an LGBTQIA+ restorative justice lens, fueled by their lived experience in a system-impacted household living in South East LA. Specializing in educational programming, partnerships, and community outreach, Daniel combines an alternative design background with a passion for delivering impactful workshops and happenings that empower marginalized communities.
Erik Barrios-Recendez graduated from UC Berkeley with a BFA in Art Practice. Erik’s artistic practice spans collage, wearable assemblage, and installation. Exploring intersectional identities he confronts cultural erasure, drawing on queer theory, Chicanx studies, and art history. Imagery from his daily life, fantasies, pop culture, and archives also inform Erik’s art.
This program is organized by Neta Zine and co-presented with Craft Contemporary as part of Circa: Queer Histories Festival 2025, presented by One Institute.
Founded as a museum in 1973, Craft Contemporary reveals the potential of craft to educate, captivate, provoke, and empower. With a focus on contemporary art made from craft media and processes, Craft Contemporary presents dynamic exhibitions by established and emerging artists and designers who are often underrepresented in larger art institutions. Craft Contemporary complements these exhibitions with a creative line-up of educational programs, including hands-on workshops led by professional artists. Craft Contemporary cultivates an environment for people in Los Angeles to deepen their relationship to art, creativity, and one another.