Sam Ganados - Strange But Not A Stranger

A continuation of the universe they created in their earlier painting, Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails (Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice), Ganados focuses on often male dominated spaces, the feelings of vulnerability and struggle of empowerment as they navigate those spaces. These painting depict a character of herself in these spaces, often exposed and in direct confrontation to the viewer.

"...Ganados pays homage to the seminal new wave band and roller skating history. They described how the title came from listening to Talking Heads with their friend and resonating with a line from 'Burning Down the House.'

...I liked that title because the idea of roller skating-and what I focus on is skating at the skatepark,' says Ganados, 'the idea of that can seem very new. To me it's new, but I've recently learned that roller skating in skateparks has come up [in parallel] with skateboarding as a sport. It's not a new thing and people have been doing it since the 80's.

...Ganados' collection Strange But not a Stranger highlights the dominating influence of women, femmes, and the queer community on the skating scene, both presently and historically. It's not to push anyone out, as Ganados exhibits through the use of donated skateboards as frames for her work, but to mesh, grow, and transform a male-dominated space into one that's open, safe, and more badass than it's ever been."

- Erika Nunez, Astr0mag issue 03, summer 2023