Artist Bio & Statement

M Rudder (they/them) engages the intersections of the natural world, gender identity, the sacred and belonging – to ourselves – to each other – and to the earth. This work stems from their intersectional identity of being trans/queer/non-binary and Japanese-American and the elders of indigenous traditions they have worked alongside in support of the decolonization of their communities and lifeways.

They are exploring how to create work that is deeply accessible to the public and that is also sustainable for their life and practices. How might ‘branding’ create belonging and meaning to people across wide-ranging socio-economic backgrounds, identities and worldviews and still be sustainable? How might this return us to a relationship with the natural world? And how can this work live across the divides that appear in the art world – the gallery, public art, and the commercial world?

Just as important to them is the work of uplifting and centering other 2SLGBTQIA+ makers. Currently, this takes two forms. The first is in co-creating spaces for these makers to be centered, supported, and brought into creative community at Yet Another Queer Pop-Up Market. The second is the co-production of Rooted Resilience, a podcast, multimedia blog, and discussion series exploring intersectional narratives of contemporary 2SLGBTQIA+ creatives living on colonized Nipmuc, Nonotuck, and Pocumtuc land, going LIVE in 2025.

They give thanks to the elders and teachers who have shared their wisdom with them over the last 15 years. They also give thanks to my family – blood and chosen – for shaping their life.

They began their creative life drawing hippos and comics, and then created as a muralist and in contributing to theatrical set designs, having painted over a dozen public murals, and having contributed to over 30 theatrical performances. They moved from large-scale public work to textile-based installation and performance work during their time in Baltimore, MD where they studied, worked, and lived for nine years. Here they also worked within the fine art conservation field restoring historic gilded frames, and as a studio assistant to a public sculpture and installation artist and two fibers and textiles artists, all of whom have exhibited internationally. They then moved into their sketchbook when they packed up their life and headed to Los Angeles for three years, spending their free time drawing and hiking in the natural beauty of southern and central CA. These days their work ranges between representational and abstraction and takes the form of poetry, children’s books, drawings and paintings, objects, and installations.

When they are not in their studio, they can be found meditating, power-lifting, hiking with their dog, fixing something around the house or tending to the land, reading about spiritual traditions and religions across the world or spending time with their partner and chosen kids. Their work is held in private collections across the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Exhibitions & Publications

Group Exhibit: Substratal, Northampton Center for the Arts, January 5th – 27th, 2024
Group Exhibit: We’ll Show U, Greenfield Gallery, August 25th – October 6th, 2023
Sacred Incantations: Rituals of Trans Wisdom for Every Season, Enfleshed
Maker of the Month, Mxed Greens, Northampton, MA, October 2022
Solo Exhibit, Hearty Eats, Shelburne MA, September 2022 – January 2023
Publication: Enfleshed (addendum), Held, January 2022
Publication: Queer Quarterly: The Spirit Issue, October 2021
Group Exhibit: 6th Annual Juried Art Show “Sky Bowl”, Gallery A3, Amherst MA, August 1st – 31st, 2019
Group Exhibit: Inclusion in a collection of art for the musicians’ green room at the Green River Music Festival, June 2019
Solo Exhibit: Greenfield Gallery, Greenfield MA, May 14th – June 20th, 2019

Awards & Honors

Assets 4 Artists, Valley Creates Grant, Western Massachusetts, 2024
Assets 4 Artists, Artist U Mentorship Cohort – Western Massachusetts, 2022 – 2023
CitiArts Grant, Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts – Baltimore, MD 2005
Community Fellowship, Open Society Institute – Baltimore, MD 2003