Discovering a Queer Kaleidoscope at ‘Wonderland Dreams’

Meade grew up in Washington, D.C., where art was the last thing on her mind. An interest in politics steered her toward working on Barak Obama’s 2008’s presidential campaign, and it was until she began experimenting with paint at age 21 that her technique took shape

“I wanted to see what it would look like to put paint on shadows, and I experimented putting shadows on live paintings,” Meade tells INTO. “And I realized I could make the world look like a two-dimensional painting.”

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“You still gonna look at me at the checkout line, you still gonna see my Skittles pack at the checkout line, and you still gonna see queerness.”

“I’m self-taught as a painter,” says Meade. “Developing this technique was really a process of trial and error. The main idea was painting on people, but then I would create these elaborate background sets for my ‘human paintings.’ And I thought, why don’t I do a show that’s all about the painted backgrounds — environments and costumes — and that’s how Wonderland Dreams came about.”

In a world where diversity is being challenged, Meade wanted to “create a space for expression and joy,” literally creating an environment that promotes inclusivity. “Normally, you look at a painting on a wall and you are far removed from it. But here, you get to put on these painted costumes and really be inside of the art. And you’ll notice that rainbows are a huge theme throughout the space.”

Pop art and impressionist rainbows reflect the Pride flag’s 45-year legacy, first created by Gilbert Baker and other activists. “D.C. is quite a buttoned-up city, and so embracing my rainbow side is something that required me leaving to be able to find myself. My life as an artist is definitely more colorful. I moved to Los Angeles, where my home is a rainbow funhouse.”

Published in 1865, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland captivated readers not only for the author’s descriptive text but also for Sir John Tenniel’s illustrations. Meade reimagines the world down the rabbit hole through various experiential touchpoints that play with perspective and harken back to key moments in the story, such as the Mad Hatter’s tea party.

“It’s definitely a character-rich space,” says Meade, “where you can walk into another world and be anybody you want to be and also feel comfortable being yourself.”

While being painted, Krouse shared how dance and art are intrinsically connected:

“I’ve always imagined that as a dancer, my body paints a space similar to how an artist paints a canvas. And being here — actually being the canvas is wild.”