Member Showcase: Kaliban Zehe

Kaliban Zehe is a mixed media lens based artist, working out of Cleveland since 2013, graduating from The Cleveland Institute of Art in 2021, and staying connected to the Cleveland arts community with their position at Cleveland Print Room.

From printmaking to the darkroom, their work encompasses the human condition and shadow realm. Fix Your Hearts or Die is about the importance of grounding the soul and uniting all parts of the ego. The importance of play, embracing the inner-child that is so often neglected. The consequence of knowing that such neglect will ultimately lead to spiritual death. It is an exploration of coming to terms with self loathing and finding stability and support from your own inner psyche. It is a time where, for a lot of queer people, it is uncomfortable if not dangerous to express an authentic version of oneself, if you’re lucky enough to not be directly punished for it. Playing is an insurmountable importance. You cannot show up for your loved ones and your community if you have not first tended to your own garden. The title “Fix Your Hearts or Die” is a quote from Twin Peaks, that has become a rally cry for the queer community, when David Lynch’s character Gordon Cole, talks about how he confronted transphobia within the FBI.