As we see our first Artist in Residence round out her tenure with us, we want to take a step back to celebrate a year of big wins for Empress Trash.
Who is Empress Trash?
Empress Trash (Drea Jay) is a multi-versatile visual artist currently living in Mexico City with her rottweiler Glitch. Read her full bio at her MakersPlace profile.
Women & Nonbinary in Web3 Exhibit at NFT Factory in Paris
In February 2023, Empress displayed her piece Rebel Yell in Paris’s NFT Factory, across the way from Le Centre Pompidou, at a special NFT Paris satellite event.
Pixels & Paint Guest Number 1
In April 2023, Empress joined Pixels & Paint host Brady Walker for what would be the debut episode of the podcast. Other Season 1 guests included Norcal_Guy, sgt_slaughtermelon, Rob Sheridan (former art director of Nine Inch Nails), Laurence Fuller, Originalplan, Christian Burke of Refik Anadol Studios, and actor Vincent D’Onofrio.
Glitch: Beyond Binary at Sotheby’s
In April 2023, Empress Trash’s Human Rights//Down Bad was included in Sotheby’s debut glitch show, intended to showcase “the many waves and perspectives glitch art can encompass.” This show included pioneers of glitch like Rosa Menkman and web3 superstars of the genre like XCOPY, Dawnia Darkstone, and uczine.
MakersPlace First Artist in Residence
As MakersPlace’s first official Artist in Residence, Empress Trash brought her seven-piece Neo-Noir Cycle collection, dropping one piece per week every week until the collection sold out.
The collection combines AI + Glitch processes to interpret traditional female archetypes in an expression of the multifaceted power of light and dark feminine energy. The seven archetypes explored: The Maiden, The Lover, The Mother, The Huntress, The Mystic, The Queen, and The Crone.
To learn more about the collection, visit the Drop page.
Representing Glitch in Korea
In June 2023, Empress Trash displayed 14 pieces of her original glitch art at the first-ever glitch art show in Korea, curated by Patrick Amidon and hosted by Aeon Studio and AI Network Korea.
In September 2023, during Frieze and Korea Blockchain Week, Art Innovation Gallery opened their 40-artist exhibition Double Interface on two billboards in the heart Seoul, including Empress Trash’s Capitulation.
PalmDAO and Pussy Riot
During NFT.NYC, Empress was invited to display her multi-channel artwork at the Feminist Art by PalmDAO x Pussy Riot
On Exhibit with Superchief & NOX Gallery in Tokyo
In July 2023, Empress’s piece Equilibrium debuted in Superchief Gallery and NOX Gallery’s Cyberpunk Vol 5 Exhibition in Tokyo.
Pixel Generation at Unit London
Alongside artists like LoVid, eBoy, and Ina Vare, Empress Trash participated in Pixel Generation, curated by Right Click Save and displayed at the dynamic contemporary art gallery Unit London with her pieces Memories Live on Forever and How Do You Feel Without.
It’s been an inspiring year to observe in the career of Empress Trash, but we didn’t even list all of her accomplishments from the still-in-progress year of 2023. For a more complete representation of Empress Trash’s activities, check out her CV and don’t forget to visit her MakersPlace profile.
