Conversations with Talia Cardin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Talia Cardin. 

Hi Talia, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Art, to me, is like breathing. It is the first language. It is something that comes from deep within me that I cannot contain. I have to create. Art relaxes me, revitalizes me, and allows me to express myself. Looking back on photographs of my childhood, you can find two-year-old Talia creating art installations in every corner of the house. I have been honing my skills ever since, making art a line twisting through my life. 

I was raised Jewish, and, although I was assigned female at birth, my parents raised me relatively gender-neutral. My Jewish identity fuels my passion for social justice because my culture teaches that we have an obligation to heal the world, and I have internalized this as my duty to humanity. My Judaism empowers me to do as much as I can every day to make the world a better place and to do all that I can to fight injustice and oppression in my communities. 

My art is a visual representation of the possibilities I see for our world. Each piece I create is infused with my critique of the way things are, and my vision of how things could be. From gender concepts to educational equity, my art pours out of me, painting my vision of a world that could be. 

Education too is a central value in my life. I crave knowledge and have always loved learning. Looking back on my life I can clearly see the faces of my teachers who have helped me become who I am today. At all of the schools I have been to, the art teachers are always my best friends. They have shown me that art is revolutionary. Art is necessary. And there is always more to explore. 

When I first entered high school, my school did not offer free period products when I arrived. I wondered how my peers who were on free and reduced lunch, who relied on groceries from our school pantry, could afford to buy tampons or pads every month. In 10th grade, I started a program to provide free period products in my school’s bathrooms. Today I am the National Marketing Director and Colorado Distribution Coordinator for Red Equity. Red Equity combats period poverty by distributing free menstrual products, advocating for legislation, and promoting education about period poverty. 

I am a founder and a leader of a group of Denver Public Schools students advocating for students’ rights and working to improve the quality of education for all students. I have put over two years of work into building this movement and improving the quality of life for students in our schools. I still vividly remember one Board of Education meeting, and how proud tears filled my eyes as a fourth-grader demanded that LGBTQ+ history be taught in their classes, a fifth-grader advocated for hiring more teachers of color, and a tenth grader expressed the need for a comprehensive health curriculum. Students told stories of being bullied, being racially targeted by teachers, and of being underserved by our education system. From across my district, students of all ages came together to share their stories, and to demand the changes they wanted to see from our district leaders. I knew at that moment that the hours upon hours I had spent creating and running workshops promoting student’s voice and civic engagement were worth it. Our voices were being heard. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been lucky, and privileged, in my life. My family is wonderful and has always supported me in anything I set my mind to. They have always taken interest in my education, and that has made all the difference. 

Recently I came out as non-binary, and that has widened my awareness of the constant oppression ingrained into all facets of life. I have struggled with my gender expression and how I want to label myself. My artwork has helped me to explore my queer identity. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My most recent collection, Transcending the Binary, explores queer liberation and expansion from gender binaries in order for all people to exist as their authentic selves. Through my art, I hope to contribute to the liberation of people from the binary norm that does not honor their truth. Rather than limiting gender expression and promoting gender dysphoria, I hope to show a vision of a utopian world where one can be themselves fully and openly. 

Gender is not clear-cut; it is abstract and evolving. My work mirrors this attitude of questioning and visualizes liberation from the binary through transcendence to acceptance. Binary gender concepts born out of colonialism and oppression limit the exploration of self and authenticity. Explosions of color in my work mirror my view of the queer community and the richness non-binary and other queer people bring to the world. Color honors freedom of expression and sense of self through celebrating individuality. 

My work looks beyond the surface of the human form at the internal structures that intertwine us all. Though individuality can be celebrated, my work elucidates the bodily systems that keep our bodies functioning and are relatively universal among all of humanity. I dismantle the human form into component parts, symbolic of the deconstruction of gender binaries, then reconstruct abstract androgynous figures. 

My work blurs the binary through a celebration of androgyny, mixing masculine and feminine forms, textures, colors, and materials. By combining traditionally feminine forms with masculine features I hope to show the natural beauty and validity of bodies regardless of the identity of who inhabits them. I celebrate androgyny through the use of a material traditionally viewed as masculine, steel, and car parts, in the welding process. I have found through the process of learning to weld that it simultaneously enhances masculine and feminine energy. 

This work has guided my own exploration of gender identity, allowing me to feel confident in celebrating my androgyny as a non-binary individual. It has pushed me to think deeper about the societal norms that surround us, how they came to be, and how I can change them. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I give credit to the earth and the world around me for being a continuous mentor and support system in my life. No matter what is going on in the world I know that I can find sanctuary and comfort in nature. 

My parents always supported and encouraged me in anything I set my mind to. They always encouraged my artistic expression and helped me become who I am today. My parents taught me that love and kindness are always the most important thing to put out into the world. They taught me that I should always speak my truth and stand up for what I believe in. 

My sister is one of my biggest inspirations. I admire her for her beautiful mind and wise soul. 

My teachers helped shape me into who I am today. I look back on my education and can see so many faces, without who, I may not be who I am. 

Animals, my family dog particularly, have taught me so much about life, love, and what really matters. Thanks to them I always hope to live every day to the fullest and spend time with my loved ones while I can. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cardintalia.wixsite.com/my-site-1
• Instagram: @taliacardin