Ahmoy L
he/him
Seattle, WA, USA
Ahmoy (he/him) is a Chinese knot artist and jade carver based in Seattle. His work has been displayed at the Fishbowl Gallery and printed in Viaduct Journal and the Enby Party Zine.
“My work is in honor of my queer ancestors. 中国结, or Chinese knot tying, is an ancient art associated with family and divine protection. In my lineage there were several queer elders who were closeted their whole lives. My work weds traditional Chinese symbols with artifacts of queerness, such as cock rings. I seek to create new narratives of Chinese queerness-- one in which we are traditional, holy, and fully ourselves.”
What does being queer mean to you in relation to your material choices? Is it something you consider?
“The materials I use reflect my heritage, which in itself is queer. I work with silk cord and jade, which are both ancient mediums with hundreds of years of history. Knots and jade are often used to record important events like marriage and the birth of children. As a child, I used to admire the many beautiful knots adorning my Do Po (grandmothers) walls. But looking back at my family history, I found no heirlooms that honored my queer ancestors. I aim to create the artifacts that commemorate these ancestors, using materials that they would recognize.
The incorporation of cock rings into my work was based on my long term fascination with metals. When I was young I learned how to solder and dremel, which was the foundation for my future jade carving. I wanted to work with cock rings as a way to return to metal as a medium, and in order to fuse a modern image of queer culture with the historical."
"大哥结 / Dàgē jié / Big Brother Knot", Cord, cock rings, silver beads, cinnabar, 2.5" x 14", 2023“When I first came out as transgender, there was a distinct lack of artistic representation of queer Asian Americans. I realized that I had to create objects that reflected my experience. I taught myself how to create the ancient art of 中国结, specifically because I wanted to show that queer people have always existed at every time in history. As a result, my art is a manifestation of my own queerness, my ancestors, and modern queer culture."
Is the work queer because the maker is queer, or is it queer because the subject matter is queer?
Anything else you would like to share about this work? This can be an important part of the process, sourcing materials, or research.
“In Chinese culture, the 盘长结, seen twice in this work, is often paired with jade. Jade is a powerful stone, one that is believed to provide divine protection to those who possess it. In 大哥结, I put cock rings in the place of jade in order to frame gay sex as holy and traditional.
The name of the work, 大哥结 “Big Brother Knot,” is a nod to the gay men in my family, the big brothers who looked after their siblings, whose flamboyance and beauty was large even while they lived in the closet. This knot aims to capture some of that boisterousness, and preserve it as an heirloom."