Wyatt Nestor-Pasicznyk
he/him
Wyatt NP is a metalsmith, enamelist and leather worker currently living and working out of rural NJ. He graduated from Tyler School of Art with a BFA in Metalsmithing. NP grew up in a small rural town working with horses his whole life. Since graduating he has been working on several farms focusing on horsemanship and land stewardship, in addition to continuing his practice in his home studio. The culture of both farming and agriculture heavily impact the work he makes in his practice. NP creates much of his work in the form of champlevé enameled belt buckles; a type of body adornment tied to both rural identity and masculine normativity. One of his main passions is agriculture and the perseverance of farmers over generations as the land, climate and people change. He hopes to convey this sentiment in his work while providing visibility for LGBT farmers and craftspeople.
“Belt buckles as an art form have deep ties to American Western imagery and iconography, which are very prevalent in the agricultural world I often find myself in. Fabricating belt buckles appeals to my own interests by creating these characterizations of narration in a form of body adornment so often masculinized and tied to rural identity and normativity. The creation of these pieces ties into my gender identity and expression, as a transgender man in a culture heavily dominated by cisgender men.”
"The culture of farming and agriculture is commonly thought of as something reserved for conservative, cisgender, white, heterosexual people. Growing up in a small rural town, working with horses my whole life and participating in FFA and 4H, farming and agriculture grounded me. Belt buckles taken in the context of a rural setting equate to achievements and status. A status typically defined by one's ability to perform a task imperative to ranching by completing them quickly and capably. The act of wearing belt buckles that one has not won is traditionally perceived as that person is undeserving for not having accomplished what they were supposed to have accomplished to “win” said buckle. For self made men like myself, the act of living, surviving and blending stealthily into a culture and society that others and alienates us is an act of winning. Not to equate passing with winning but to acknowledge the simpler aspects of transitioning over a long period of time where one is just regarded as a person, and not for their past and assigned gender. For me, fabricating these pieces is not only my livelihood but also a way to exist between the worlds of the conservative ranching culture who admire my work for its imagery and the queer individuals that guided me through the early stages of my transition.
At this point in my life I feel as though I am more readily accepted among the men who share my interests and way of life though are unaware that I am not cisgender as they are. The longer I have been on HRT, having completed my medical transition, the more I feel integrated into society as a man and the less I feel connected to the community that guided me. There is a resolve to this as well, having the ability to help those early on in their journeys as others have done for me. Though most of the time I have found myself living my life without immersing myself in the community the way I had done before and to simply exist as I am."
How does your work relate to the theme Adorned Serenity— How does the work function as a wearable safe space?
The Tradesman, Champleve Enameling on Copper, 3.75" x 2.5", 2023
"Farming is a place where queer people struggling to feel good in their bodies can feel nourished and feel right by working with the soil and the earth. By continuing to break the preconceived notions and norms that are placed upon queer and transgender bodies, as makers and rural dwellers, we can begin to feel connected to a part of something larger that unites us. Having the ability and agency to wear pieces like the ones I create that oftentimes feels reserved for another demographic, one who typically holds homophobic and transphobic beliefs is an act of resilence. Oftentimes certain trans people can navigate between the worlds undetected, as some like myself are stealth in most aspects of their lives. As a man who is often assumed to be cisgender, the interaction of my own body in a comfortable yet unprecedented atmosphere, comes into play."
How do you see this piece existing in the world as a wearable safe space?
Or is this piece specific to you?
If someone found this piece and needed an instruction manual to make the safe space work — what’s a quick how to?
“I feel as though this piece would lend itself to the wearer in a variety of ways, namely that it would be useful to queer people living in more rural, western areas. While it can be a flashy addition to an outfit it can also be a signal to those who are in agricultural communities that you are like them as well. There is a sense of commonality that can be found in sharing different types of spaces with different types of people. My pieces find themselves belonging to a vast variety of people, from western influencers, ranchers, hobbyist farmers and ag enthusiasts to jewelry collectors who are queer, or LGBT people living in cities who hold a nostalgia for the type of pieces I create. By wearing this piece it could be an in to a country and western bar you've been longing to go to but have been worried about being picked out of the crowd for your differences. It could also be a piece worn to a rodeo to have a fun night among friends.”
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“All of my research is done through photos I take either while at events, or at my job on the farm. I cobbled together some shots from a rodeo I went to last year and began working on this rodeo series from a compliation of photos that turned into sketches and later pieces. This piece is the last of the ones from that series, though I didn't have a chance to make it until this year. I finished it days before one of my favorite country artists released his new album and named the piece after one of the songs after hearing a clip of it on his social media. The song reminisces about a life where the singer could have worked with his hands and made things instead of working a job that doesn't value the act of creation.”