Heroes and Heroines is Jose Rafael Perozo’s debut exhibition at Soho House and features work from various series that span over 10 years. Born in Venezuela in 1982, Perozo is a queer artist based in Miami whose artwork explores themes of identity, sexuality, power, and cultural fusion with a bold and expressive style. He uses his artistic practice to challenge societal norms and celebrate the beauty of diversity.
In a series of manipulated bolivars, Perozo paints atop the faces of each "hero"
represented on out-of-print Venezuelan currency, dolling up soldiers and political leaders in makeup and depicting them in drag. The colorful banknotes have gone through several iterations over the past 20 years—bolivar fuerte, bolivar soberano—with the central bank revaluing and replacing the currency multiple times in an attempt to correct hyperinflation and instability. The bills are now worthless and no longer in circulation, and citizens have resorted to using US dollars, euros, and cryptocurrencies for their everyday transactions. Here, the artist uses satire to
critique the hypermasculinity of a country whose economy has failed its people, while at the same time celebrating the beauty and perseverance of the LGBTQ+ community.
Seen towards the middle of the space is his Say Gay flag, one which boasts an ultra-Florida print highlighting a phrase so relevant in our beloved yet complicated state. These simple but powerful words have made numerous headlines over the past couple of years and have recently come into play again—another perfect example of how Perozo uses his platform to amplify marginalized voices and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
The last series featured in Heroes and Heroines is a series composed of self-portraiture in which the artist uses the faces he originally manipulated on the bolivars as a filter on his own face a —performative work where he dresses in drag as different characters. These pieces are very intimate and invite the viewer to observe their beauty up close. It becomes impossible to not create narratives around each personality as he introduces us to who he is, and perhaps ultimately, who we all are.
Ana Clara Silva