I’m Jade Kuriki Olivo. I am very proud to say that I’m a trans woman.
“I’m a woman.” as Joela Rivera would say 
I am also a womxn. (to tell me otherwise to think of me otherwise to treat me otherwise is transphobia)(to internalize this)(understanding what internalizing it entails)
Please respect who I am 
It comes with un -
Programming 
    the binary mind
    wherever it exists all over 
but a time
Before the binary existed 
in many indigenous cultures all over the world since the beginning of time 
 
I am also a Two-Spirit person. 
I go by and prefer She/Her 
 
but They/Them is apart of my past and present it’s an honor to receive this pronoun as well. 
 
To those that knew me as *insert pre transition dead name here” you don’t know me now 
you know bits and pieces 
glimmers 
of the person
    I am today 
Jade 
There are phases in my life as a trans woman
    I shed skin
    like that of a snake 
I am the year of the snake
Being attracted to toxic relationships 
Abuse from my father and other abuse experienced while growing up 
feeling the reason to be attracted 
to those that don’t treat me right sometimes 

Multiple rapes in life leaving me with endless trust issues 

I’m so grateful now I’ve finally found my trans family my chosen family 
I’m
Here with them now celebrating in upstate ny 
    fighting for abolition all the other days 
    but today is for healing in nature  
To be together to experience joy for a change 

Green the peace of the Caribbean jungle 
El Yunque
Green is in many places on the planet 
blue and yellow combine 
it’s all over the world 
These three colors
mixing all over this planet and atmosphere 

I’ve lost people because they know stages of me sometimes I even lose myself in the transition because I let myself flow down it even if rapids at many moments I let it flow over me
It’s hard I can’t face the world
Many days but I try 
It’s terrifying to be in the world
As a trans woman 
As a trans woman 

I danced as a lion in a mascot costume as a teenager full of fear as a closeted trans woman but in the anonymity of the costume I could dance my heart out the movements didn’t have to be restrained to appear masculine no one knew it was me 
I could dance however my body wanted transitioning on a spectrum 
(people find ways even under the oppression of colonalism and the harm and destruction it has enacted upon the world) 
* To find a way • even in secret • to keep the culture alive • even if away from it • to dance as their indigenous ancestors did to dance as a trans woman a two spirit person • so young not yet out but feeling myself alone in a room dancing to Christina Aguilera or in a costume anonymous in front of a basketball or football crowd
* It was a form of hiding too not yet feeling free with myself to be my true self a woman a trans womxn a two spirit human being 
Everything in my life changed when I said I was a woman everything changed 

Dancing as a mascot in high school 
moving
    letting her out 
moving my hips in a way that would have resulted in beating and humiliation 
without the costume 
as a “feminine boy“ in the consertive south

My dance was feeling emotion 
I relate dancing 
to my indigenous ancestors through my father who’s family comes from the Caribbean but who’s blood stems from tribes around the world 
I relate dancing 
to my two spirit ancestors 
My grandpa taking me to pow wows 
    *but as a trans woman that was not yet out*
    the son he use to know 

we will never meet as a trans woman 
as a woman 
its like that for many trans gnc 2s people sometimes you just get to watch your relatives 
age from a screen  
I relate my dancing to the Japanese dance form and movement Butoh a dance of agony of death of emotions and the ephemerality of life My grandpa We’ve never met now that
I’ve transitioned •sometimes you watch people age from a screen•
I was often scared to use my voice 
So I tried as much as possible to not speak 
It would reveal all too much 
Adjusting my voice all my life
    from
Low to “pass” at one point in my life 
higher to “pass” at another point 
“Passing” whatever the fuck that means 
Some nights I fell asleep praying to god for a vagina
To make me acceptable to society 
as a child internalizing the hate I could feel all around me  

The estrogen the testosterone blockers and progesterone it’s hard to explain to someone the emotions the feelings that come
Up the ways it helps but also how it causes depression etc An exhaustion to an extreme I mean think about it
Changing all your hormones 
Libido gone now back now gone now low now back in full force the changes 
Keep up I say to myself 

HRT isn’t  necessary to be trans or to transition 
It’s only for some
people
But it changed me and it’s hard to convey the metamorphosis 
Moods up and down 
drastic 
Body changes • vastly ranges actually  
not feeling something (more apparent)
sensitivity arises 
Sexual orientation from
“Gay man” (I never fit in there) 
to pansexual Woman 
A divorce during that process from a man who who I felt
A lot of love for but 
now
    this being the same for 
so many/ some 
trans gnc 2s people I know 
relationships with
    cis family 
friends 
Lovers 
spouses 
fade 
people don’t understand the trials and tribulations 
Nor do they want to they want to stay oblivious to the struggles of BIPOC people especially BIPOC Trans womxn 

Black Trans Lives more than matter

End Asian Hate

My mother is Japanese American and you’ll see work relating to the atrocities of Japanese American internment camps in the United States 
My mother came to the US when she was 6 months old
With my grandma
Toyoko 

You’ll see gun triggers scattered about from used guns taken off the market and melted down besides the trigger 
My mom was held at gun point by three white men when I was a child and she broke her glasses saying I can’t identify you
    so they wouldn’t take her with her car and belongings 
I’ve hated guns since 
Thinking she could have died that night 

I was abused by my father but also see that he was abused by his father 
I’m sorry for the trauma they both experience
I am still effected by trauma 
from
Their inherited abusive behavior 
Apart of me can’t blame them
To have a better life they joined the military 
The military is used as a tool
Waved over many BIPOC  lives as a way to find security but also
To use them as living shields for the country that denies them
Any rights
    but to profit off diasporas as means to build the military for this country 

This show spans over  ten years from before I transitioned to Jade to me now a trans woman trying to change things 

We have but one life to live when brushing close with death it changes your perception 

I had brain cancer and a tumor was removed after I was hit by a car and it required a cat scan.
Surgery 

The skin from
My forehead was lifted forward and the cranium removed my brain was then exposed to the air the atmosphere and even space in that moment when the tumor was removed 
You’ll notice death comes up a lot 
And the brain too in this show 

The brain 
    walking earths 
walking universes 
So complex 

I must say 

To witness the lack of empathy and sympathy from the art world to trans people trans femmes gnc people esp BIPOC trans gnc 2S + people is fucked up to say the least 

Do better
Please help us don’t make us be the only ones supporting  each other
help us don’t say you’re going to help us 
help us don’t use us 
give us opportunities esp Black Trans Woman 
Qween Jean and Joela Rivera have taught me this
to stand up to speak up 

To the art bubble 
If you like my art support me so I can support my chosen sisters and siblings 

More importantly 
support my sisters and siblings 
post their mutual aid on Instagram

Trans people are hurting out here 
Sex work helped me get through part of the pandemic 

Support us uplift us give us opportunities 
Instead of tokenizing 
help us survive
find healthcare 
housing 
Help trans people esp Trans BIPOC people survive 
I have worked so hard for
This show
I honestly can’t believe I’m turning 32 as it opens 

Even if I’m
Not present 
I can’t believe I’m still alive to even see it 
My spirit maybe one day soon 
a ghost 
who knows but fate
I got trans woman tattooed on my hand in case anything happens to me and they find me they will know I’m a woman even if they continue to misgender me until the skin wears to bone it will remind them of my truth 

“I’m a woman” as Joela Rivera would say 

Art bubble do better 
Please  

(Donate to a protest organization I protest with regularly if you can @thestonewallprotests on instagram cashapp in their bio Joela Rivera and Qween Jean who organize it every Thursday at Stonewall
They  are my teachers mentors sisters elders icons so 
Much love and honor to them) 

Trans GNC 2S community
brilliant creatives 
artists 
human beings 
you should follow and support on Instagram and however you can 
This list is in no particular order 
Please support these incredible humans 

Lexii Foxx
Instagram @lexiifoxx69
Instagram @stopkillingusglobalcampaign
her go fund me link is
https://gofund.me/02044d3e
Cashapp $LexiiFoxx
Venmo Stop-KillingUs

Bri Williams
Instagram @bruizr
@bria-williams-5

Joela Rivera
Instagram @joelriveraaa
Cashapp $stonewallprotests

Qween Jean
Instagram @Qween_jean
Venmo @miss_jean

Laboujienata Diallo
Instagram @ko_min_laboujienata
Cashapp $Laboujienata
Go fund me Link https://gofund.me/86f36c81

Aletheia Ramos
Instagram @veritasrael
Cashapp $veritasrael

Princess Alani !
Instagram @alaninyc
Venmo Alanipassion
Cashapp $nycpaid

China Black
Instagram @china.bqueen

Elliot Reed
Instagram @elliot_reed_laboratories

Cielo Oscuro
Instagram @bbysatan666
Venmo @tucielooscuro
Go fund me Link https://gofund.me/d7983dd5

Tahtianna Carrol
Instagram @tahtianna_infinity_
Cashapp $TahtiannaFermin
Venmo @TahtiannaFermin

Ren Pan
Instagram @sheseemsnice
Venmo @ren_pan

Davia Spain
Instagram @DaviaSpain
Venmo @daviaspain

Dréya St. Clair
Instagram @Dreyastclair
#TransisWorthy

SoiL Thornton
Instagram @____s_0_i_L

Iman Le Caire
Instagram @ImanLeCaire
Venmo Iman-LeCaire
Cashapp $ImanLeCaireNYC

Thesan Pollyanna
Instagram @thesan.p
Venmo @Thesan-polly
Cashapp $thesanmusic

Shuriya Davis
Instagram @shuriyadavis

Ava Grey
@avagrey.xo

Tourmaline
Instagram @tourmaliiine

Precious Okoyomon
Instagram @devilintraining_

Marquise Vilsón Balenciaga
Instagram @MarquiseVilson

Ali Mounkary
Instagram @prriinceali

Jerome AB
Instagram @jerome__ab
Venmo @Jerome_AB

Jennicet Gutiérrez
Instagram @jennicetguti

Richie Shazam
Instagram @richieshazam

Iiia Xochipilli
Instagram @theearthstwinsister
Venmo @iiia
Cashapp $iiia
PayPal iiiax

Ms Jael
Instagram @ms__jael

Neptunite
Instagram @dragonflyneptunite
Instagram @solunarpillars

B. Hawk Snipes
Instagram @bhawksnipes
Cashapp $bhawk334

Jordan Shelwood
Instagram @kamkorderz
The Angelito Collective Go Fund Me
https://gofund.me/67eb1ab1

Gia Love
Instagram @love.gia

Jordiana Diana
Instagram @earthtojordi
Venmo @earthtojordi
Cashapp $earthtojordi
Paypal @earthtojordi

Jari Jones
Instagram @iamjarijones
Cashapp $iamjarijones

Bamby Salcedo
Instagram @labamby

Marie Angel Venarsian
Instagram @msvenarsian
Venmo @msvenarsian
Cashapp $msvenarsian

Rohan Zhou-Lee
Instagram @diaryofafirebird
Instagram @Blasianmarch

Valeria Atreides
Instagram @adjust_rain

Eric Ao
Instagram @eric.ao.39

LILITH
Instagram @devilsdaughtaa
Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/ca2d6aa6

Ms. Carrie Stacks
Instagram @ms.carriestacks
£$ app £mbcc9

Elijah Alter
Instagram @devine_deception

Dese Escobar
Instagram @1inamilli0nangel

Xelestíal Moreno-Luz
Instagram @nonbinarymami
Venmo @theageofeve

Alicia Miller
Instagram @alicia_miller_kem
PayPal @kenrica1
Go Fund Me https://gofund.me/de670c5b

Mook Nathaniel
Instagram @be.whoyouneeded

Pierre Davis
Instagram @pierrehommes
Instagram @nosesso

Kammy-Raé
Instagram @kamyothekidd

Nereida Patricia
Instagram @nereidapatricia

XOÁI Pham
Instagram @xoai.pham

This list will be added to as the exhibition goes on.

This exhibition is a retrospective and brings together works of the artist created between 2011–2021. Until 2018, the conceptual works of Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo) were created by an anonymous artist-subject. The name Puppies Puppies revealed neither gender or origin, nor whether a group or just a single individual was behind the pseudonym. Stepping away from this veiled identity became part of a series of works beginning in 2018 that were overlaid with the actual transitioning of the artist to Jade Kuriki Olivo. Her activist practice and commitment to the rights of BIPOC transgender, gender non conforming, two spirit + minorities has become steadily more important as she continues her transition. This text by the artist was written for this exhibition, the first to provide an overview of her entire body of work.

The exhibition by Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo), is followed by two solo exhibitions by Bri Williams (*1993, lives and works in Los Angeles) and Elliot Reed (*1992, lives and works in New York). The exhibitions are based on an invitation by Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo), who received a carte blanche from the institution. The practice of Puppies Puppies (Jade Kuriki Olivo) has always been characterized by collaborations with other artists. The works of Bri Williams and Elliot Reed have never been on display in Switzerland before.

Exhibition booklet