Alexandra Weld Queen (born in 1985) is a sculptor and performer who works with metal, welding techniques, and fireproof tarpaulin. Alexandra was trained in welding technology, and as an active participant in professional events, she got recognized in the welders community. In 2015, she created her first large sculpture, “Meditating Cat Tikhvami.” Thus emerged Weld Queen, living in a Castle, wearing royal suits made of fireproof canvas.
Weld Queen studied the theory of contemporary art and created her artistic mythology, through metal sculptures, royal costumes, performances, and public art. When viewers interact with her sculptures, it creates a personal experience and adds significance to the artwork. The audience’s direct involvement completes the conceptualization of the object.
Weld Queen wears fire-resistant canvas dresses and a welding helmet as her crown. She turns welding into luxurious art, emphasizing its transformative power on a spiritual level.
Weld Queen’s art reflects her evolving worldview, using personal emotions and experiences as tools to understand human nature. She shares observations of inner struggles and pathways to personal harmony. In today’s stress-filled society, personal space concerns serve as a starting point for addressing issues.
Weld Queen explores inner liberation, challenging societal norms of egoism, social status, gender, and age. She questions the preset programs that shape our self-identification, emphasizing the need to break free from these limitations.
Weld Queen challenges traditional markers of success by creating her own queendom. As a performer, she wears a royal tarpaulin dress and welding helmet, embodying her unique expression. This juxtaposition highlights the contrast between societal expectations and her artistic vision.
Weld Queen believes humans possess an inner power that fuels growth and transcends limitations. By recognizing this force within themselves, individuals can rise above societal constraints and adopt an elevated perspective, empowering them to reach beyond what seems possible.
Weld Queen explores feminine nature and gender in her works, aligning with feminism without perceiving it as a struggle. In a world where diverse gender identities are accepted, the need for fighting diminishes, and she seeks to move forward beyond that.
Weld Queen’s life credo is to explore personal awareness and transcend societal games. By sharing observations of her own transformative journey, she spreads a message of freedom through her artwork.
Stages:
From 2015 to 2018, Weld Queen embraced a “playful” period, embodying the theory of “Post-Pessimism.” Her artwork showcased a playful approach to breaking free from social games through irony and detachment. Weld Queen fearlessly combined fantasy and real-life observations to expose the absurdity of contemporary social values. The socially ironic line is clearly evident in works such as Boobs Dragon (2017), Cosmolover (2017), Casanova (2016), Fur Coat (2018), etc.
Laughter exposes the futility of taking social games seriously. Post-pessimism offers an escape from egoism and reevaluates the importance of a luxurious lifestyle. Irony empowers individuals to step away from the social battlefield and establish their own rules. By transcending egoism, one can free their energy for spiritual growth.
Between 2018 and 2019, Weld Queen’s artistic focus shifted to exploring her own bodily and feminine nature. She embraced performance art, using the body as her primary medium in works like “Monarchy” (2018), “CALM DOWN!” (2019), and “Limited Monarchy” (2019).
The new direction seeks to understand the world through introspection, breaking free from societal norms, and exploring unique practices to enhance self-awareness.
From 2020 to 2022, Weld Queen engages in public art projects and teaching welding, challenging the concept of egoism. As a curator, she organizes three art residencies, producing unique sound-based public art objects: Tam Tam (2020), Sun Circle (2021), and Dreamer (2022), which fit perfectly into the landscape of the selected regions.
Burning Man events have played a significant role in the artist’s journey. In 2023, she installed Blastoff, a continuation of her previous art object, Airfield for Walking in the Clouds (2019).
The artist collaborated with such brands as ESAB, TEVA, Ritz Carlton, and others. The Julia Shuvchinskaya-directed movie “Weldqueendom” depicts some details from her life story and artistic development.
Weld Queen’s works are in private collections in France and the USA.
Weld Queen has realized more than 40 sculptural projects. A viewer can gain personal experience only after interacting with the sculptures. Thus, the art objects get conceptually finished.
Weld Queen is also a curator of art residencies. She gives lectures on sculpture and its production and holds workshops on artistic welding.
Here is the list of selected events she participated in:
2023 – Burning Man. The Blastoff. Nevada. USA. (coming soon)
2023 – Art Dubai contemporary art fair. Dubai. UAE.
2019 – Burning Man. The Airfield for walking in the clouds project. Nevada. USA. In 2020 she was a winner in Honoraria program within Burning Man.
2019 – Frieze Art Show. Represented by BMW Group Culture. New York. USA
2019 – Scope Art Show. Represented by Art Cube Moscow in Miami. USA
2019 – Frieze Art Show. Represented by BMW Group Culture. New York. USA
2019 – Scope Art Show. Represented by Art Cube Moscow in Miami. USA
2018 – Art Basel Miami Beach International art fair. Miami. USA
2018 – Vienna Contemporary, Austria’s international art fair. Marx Halle. Vienna. Austria
2018 – Scope Art Show. Represented by Ural Vision Gallery in New York. USA
2016 – Moulin Jaune. Slava Polunin’s residency. Crécy-la-Chapelle. France.
Short biography:
Alexandra Weld Queen was born in Kislovodsk in 1985. Since 2007, she has begun to come up with ideas that the artist first expressed in paintings, but in the same year, she began to look for “her material,” and so she came to sculpt and work with the metal. Since 2008, she has lived and worked in Moscow. With the move to Moscow, she continued her passion for working with metal and sculpture, looking for her artistic method. In parallel, the girl worked as a development director in the commercial and industrial sectors. From 2009 to 2010, she studied at the Institute of Contemporary Art. From 2010 to 2012, she received professional education at the Moscow Polytechnic College, specializing in welding technology. In 2015, she creates her first large sculpture, “Meditating Cat Tikhvami,” and at the same time, she adopts the creative pseudonym Weld Queen. A full-fledged artist’s journey begins. From 2017 to 2018, she studied at the “Free Workshops” at the Moscow Museum of Modern Art (Moscow MoMA). Since 2015, Weld Queen has realized more than 40 sculptural projects, including major public art works such as “Brothers” (2017) and “Rooster Candy” (2016) at Kudykina Mountain Park in Lipetsk region, “Mother” (2019) at Mira Park in Novosibirsk, “Airfield for Walking in the Clouds” at Burning Man (2019), and “Sun Drum” in Murmansk (2021). Her works are in private collections in Russia, France, and the USA.
