Troublemakers by Deric Carner

In Celebration of Pride Month Maplewood Arts and Culture Presents:
Troublemakers by Deric Carner

What does it feel like to never fully belong? Deric Carner : Troublemakers explores this question through a series of wall-mounted sculptural faces that are fragile, funny, and a little grotesque. Each one sits somewhere between mask and portrait, showing how we present ourselves to others while still holding parts of ourselves back.

Carner grew up moving between different countries and cultures, and his work reflects that experience of always adjusting and figuring out where you fit. Drawing from his experience of queer identity, he explores the feeling of deciding which parts of yourself to show and which to keep private.

The faces recall theatrical masks, drag faces, and clown makeup, all of which speak to performance as a mode of self-presentation and defense. Their exaggerated features and openings suggest a gap between how we feel inside and how we appear on the outside, and the effort it can take to be seen and understood, especially in queer experience.

Rather than cohesive subjects, these works function as composite selves where conflicting emotions, identities, and desires coexist without resolution. Installed as a group, they form a chorus of unsettled personas. The exhibition invites visitors to think about belonging, self-expression, and the many sides of identity.

The exhibition is accompanied by a video created by Carner specifically for this context, which further intensifies the show’s exploration of queer themes.

Community Participation: Visitors are invited to create their own masks and reflect on their relationship between inner identity and outward presentation. These contributions will become part of the exhibition displayed on the gallery walls at the 1978 Maplewood Arts Center.

Opening Reception 6/13/26 | 2PM - 5PM
Light Refreshments
On view Saturdays and Sundays
6/14, 6/20, 6/21, 6/27, 6/28 | 2PM - 5PM
1978 Maplewood Arts Center
1978 Springfield Avenue
Maplewood, New Jersey

Deric Carner Website