Arteles Catalogue 2023-2020

Silence Awareness Existence program / FEBRUARY 2023
Kier Adrian Gray
Canada
kier.substack.com
About
Kier Adrian Gray is a writer whose work was called “a
specific slice of brutal Canadian honesty” by Broken Pencil
Magazine. Over the years they have published fiction,
creative nonfiction, poetry, photo essays and news articles.
The complexity of agency, the search for transcendence and
the sacrifices we make in order to belong are themes that run
through their body of work.
At Arteles, Kier will be drafting a memoir about coming of age
among anarchists in Vancouver and Montréal, which they
hope will be a timely contribution to conversations about
political polarization, mental illness, and most importantly,
hope.
Writing, Reflecting, Collaging
I spent the residency working to desacralise my writing
practice: to come back to it over and over again, in all states
of mind and body, until it became absolutely ordinary. I
succeeded in this regard, and came one chapter short of
completing the first draft of my memoir by the end of the
month. I also challenged myself to experiment with a new
medium: collage. The moments of uncertainty and frustration
were a reminder of what it takes to learn, and how worth it it
is in the end. A truly unforgettable month.