.Biography
Shola Cole aka Pirate Jenny (They/Themme & She/Hers) is a New York based performance artist and Afro-Caribbean/UK born immigrant. An artist, adult learner, neuro-queer and youthfully mature being unpacking their gender non-conforming edges - Cole explores radio, movement, drawing, figure modeling within a time traveling tool wearing persona, Pirate Jenny (PJ). Pirate Jenny embodies explore historical contexts of the Atlantic Slave Trade’s meeting point of the Golden Age of Piracy a personal legacy as a Black/Queer/Lesbian and former classically trained/traumatized musician. Cole envisions a vibrant and evocative body of work that shifts a lens onto CPSTD, Burnout and Narcissistic Abuse with additional praxes of self care/rest as resistance, acknowledged rage within resilience, joy and prioritizing low-to-no social media.
Rooting their work around the “othered” body in service to capitalism and its “systemic grind” in various contortions of industries - Cole deepens her art life practice by layering justice in QT/BIPOC farming and integrating newly acquired skills in the trades. Despite deeply rooted colonial foundations in her classical music upbringing, Cole proudly claims their band nerd roots, integrating life's frameworks to navigate a multi-sectored background as Pirate Jenny. Cole is currently dreaming up ‘A Vanderful Life’; a reinvisioning of community around art and viably radical food futures in QT/LGBIA2+/BIPoC agriculture. This personal vision deepens their inquiry into creating performance work within exploring possibilites of medicinal, fiber crops and diasporic produce for consumers and mutual aid. It heeds the larger quest for a caliber of earth justice; centering farmer & artist community care, access needs, land/water justice education and mobile design within nomadic agriculture.
Core works include 'Biographie of Service', a process of Cole combining narrative, storytelling and figure modeling - inviting viewer participation to critique her selfless contortions, relating to health systems and the service sector; 'Hung' a viewer centered work examining social perception of hand washing garments and '#Pirateradio,' a pirate radio show hosted by Shola Cole aka Pirate Jenny centering site specific history around pirates and current social movements.
Immersions of social dance rebellion such as house, West African dance, hip-hop, tango, physical theatre and capoeira - inspire Cole to continually seek relationships between oppressive environments and the artistic, joyfully coded resilience of related communities. Story week with Donald Davis and storytelling (listening) in customer service - prompt Cole to hear unspoken tones behind outspoken voices. Time at UCONN and MICA brings Cole through RubyFruit & Harmonious Soul acapella, UConn Marching Band & CT Hurricanes, Jacobs Pillow, EmergeNYC, Soul Fire Farm, Rock Steady Farm, Farm School NYC, Down Bottom Farms and Earthwood Building School. This also encompasses travel to 48/50 states and 4 continents, (mostly from a clangy, loud yet musical Off-Broadway Show). Time portalling through Art/Life Institute and Three Phase Center uplift Cole in exploring hard truths, tasting home cooked love and making beauty.
Current hyperfocusings include naps, rest, their kitchen herbs container garden, stabilizing houseplants, falling into trades wormholes on YouTube and looking at work wear for women. Cole also has a knack for spotting authentic double fronts in a lineup of Westerlin clad hipsters holding pickaxes and enabling Labor Wear Cosplay.
Rooting their work around the “othered” body in service to capitalism and its “systemic grind” in various contortions of industries - Cole deepens her art life practice by layering justice in QT/BIPOC farming and integrating newly acquired skills in the trades. Despite deeply rooted colonial foundations in her classical music upbringing, Cole proudly claims their band nerd roots, integrating life's frameworks to navigate a multi-sectored background as Pirate Jenny. Cole is currently dreaming up ‘A Vanderful Life’; a reinvisioning of community around art and viably radical food futures in QT/LGBIA2+/BIPoC agriculture. This personal vision deepens their inquiry into creating performance work within exploring possibilites of medicinal, fiber crops and diasporic produce for consumers and mutual aid. It heeds the larger quest for a caliber of earth justice; centering farmer & artist community care, access needs, land/water justice education and mobile design within nomadic agriculture.
Core works include 'Biographie of Service', a process of Cole combining narrative, storytelling and figure modeling - inviting viewer participation to critique her selfless contortions, relating to health systems and the service sector; 'Hung' a viewer centered work examining social perception of hand washing garments and '#Pirateradio,' a pirate radio show hosted by Shola Cole aka Pirate Jenny centering site specific history around pirates and current social movements.
Immersions of social dance rebellion such as house, West African dance, hip-hop, tango, physical theatre and capoeira - inspire Cole to continually seek relationships between oppressive environments and the artistic, joyfully coded resilience of related communities. Story week with Donald Davis and storytelling (listening) in customer service - prompt Cole to hear unspoken tones behind outspoken voices. Time at UCONN and MICA brings Cole through RubyFruit & Harmonious Soul acapella, UConn Marching Band & CT Hurricanes, Jacobs Pillow, EmergeNYC, Soul Fire Farm, Rock Steady Farm, Farm School NYC, Down Bottom Farms and Earthwood Building School. This also encompasses travel to 48/50 states and 4 continents, (mostly from a clangy, loud yet musical Off-Broadway Show). Time portalling through Art/Life Institute and Three Phase Center uplift Cole in exploring hard truths, tasting home cooked love and making beauty.
Current hyperfocusings include naps, rest, their kitchen herbs container garden, stabilizing houseplants, falling into trades wormholes on YouTube and looking at work wear for women. Cole also has a knack for spotting authentic double fronts in a lineup of Westerlin clad hipsters holding pickaxes and enabling Labor Wear Cosplay.
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