Womxn in Extreme Performance Art of NM
Performance Program
Welcome to an evening that defies the limits of comfort, convention, and corporeal experience. Here, we celebrate the radical spirits of womxn whose artistic practices push beyond boundaries, contorting the body, challenging the psyche, and invoking the primal depths of human endurance. These artists create rituals of transcendence, casting their bodies as both battlegrounds and altars in pursuits that are as unsettling as they are profound.
Each artist tonight invites you into a realm where vulnerability is power, risk is ritual, and the self is a site of continuous transformation. What you are about to witness is not merely a performance but a communion with the ineffable.
This gathering of womxn in extreme performance art offers an invitation to witness the fragile, the volatile, and mystic forces that lie beyond the realm of the ordinary.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sanct Afra, spent her formative years in South Asia. Wandering sacred grounds, and participating in Buddhist ceremonies. Through these experiences, she has connected most with the ancient animistic. The more her nature splits in two, as she is slave to empire, she desires a return to true form of elemental awareness.
Sanct Afra is Holy earth. Saint of the primordial darkness, giving to life. She embodies realms unseen but manifests in the world as an apparition, protector demon. This performance will include elements of butoh, bon inspired sound scapes and calls to the dark unknown.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Psycho and Girls is a femme-fronted spanglish screamo band embracing the current revival of the genre, and using it as a vessel for portraying the emotions surrounding trauma, queerness, and religion in the raw, gut-wrenching and angry way that they frequently exist in but are infrequently portrayed as.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stepping into the spotlight for her debut performance, Nikky has spent the past six years mastering the intricate and powerful art of shibari, and five years exploring the depths of hook suspension. Her journey into bondage and flesh-hook suspension began as a deeply personal exploration of self-expression, empowerment, and the beauty of vulnerability, and it quickly evolved into a lifelong passion. She strives to create immersive, evocative experiences that challenge perceptions and celebrate the resilience and freedom of the human form.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~Intermission~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Trans-Exile, an industrial noise and electro-punk band from ABQ, was formed in 2019 by Joan A. Holder-Redbear and Lauren L. Garfalo. Their debut, Trans-Exile Demo, dropped in June 2020, and the duo's live debut followed in December 2021. Sadly, Lauren stepped away due to mental health challenges and passed in December 2022.
Joan has since carried Trans-Exile forward as a solo act, gaining underground acclaim with a sound inspired by Throbbing Gristle, punk, acid house, and no wave. Following the 2024 release of the Rotting Electro Elements EP, Trans-Exile will introduce a new member at the Womxn in Extreme Performance Art show, with more performances and releases anticipated next year.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lauren Davis is the visionary force behind Sui Generis Magicka, a visceral ritual performance that pushes the boundaries of art, spirituality, and the self. Combining elements of Butoh with pain rites, her work delves into the rawest depths of the human psyche, unearthing the subconscious and engaging with primal, ecstatic, and altered states of consciousness. Each performance of Sui Generis Magicka is a journey where she invites her audience to confront their own unspoken depths and repressed fears.
Through a captivating blend of intense physicality and haunting, trance-like movement, Lauren draws on ancient and modern ritual to guide both herself and her viewers into a space of deep introspection and transformation. Her work is raw and deeply evocative, challenging conventional perceptions of beauty and form. With Sui Generis Magicka, Lauren transforms the stage into a sacred space, invoking ritual that is both deeply personal and universally resonant for those willing to descend...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Suspended is an unstoppable all-female metal trio hailing from ABQ, and they are quickly becoming one of the best all-female metal bands in the thrash and death metal scene.
Known as the “Thrash Queens of New Mexico,” Suspended blends melodic, thrash, and death metal influences to create a powerful and unique sound that sets them apart. With a legacy of intense live performances across the U.S. and Canada, they continue to captivate audiences with their heavy riffs and relentless energy.
Proudly promoting their Indigenous and Hispanic heritage, Suspended represents a powerful voice in metal, delivering raw, authentic music that resonates with fans of thrash and death metal. As they work on their highly anticipated new album, Tales of the Slain, set for release in late 2024, the trio is poised to solidify their place as a dominant force in the thrash and death metal world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Fine Art by:
Raven Arbuckle is multidisciplinary folk horror artist whose work delves into the realms of occultism, mythology, and the human animal, exploring themes of death, rebirth, ritual, sexuality, and the taboo. Their art seeks to restructure how we engage with our deepest fears, finding beauty in suffering, and fostering growth by traversing the dark, liminal spaces of the psyche. With a focus on transforming the human body and the creation of personal mythology, Raven’s work challenges conventional boundaries, aiming to explore counterculture through mythologies rooted in spiritual and occult practices
Based in Abq NM, BFA in Illustration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Caitlin Padilla, a Spiritual Surrealist painter and 2023 New Mexico Entertainment Award winner for Top Artist, is a native New Mexican with roots that trace back centuries. Dedicated to her craft since age seven, her work explores spirituality, connection, and the transient nature of existence. Influenced by Sacred Geometry, philosophy, and surrealist masters like Kahlo and Magritte, her paintings merge detailed brushwork with expressive, emotional textures, often created live to invite audience connection.
Her art deepened profoundly following her husband's passing in 2021, moving towards raw expressions of grief and resilience. Caitlin, a UNM graduate, also champions Albuquerque's creative community as Project Manager for the city’s Creative Economy initiatives. Actively exhibiting across Albuquerque and Santa Fe, she co-founded Pigment Pushers, a series of painting events, and operates under the business name Caitie The Painter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Melissa Dominguez is a pioneering artist based in Santa Fe, whose mastery of photography has garnered critical acclaim and international recognition. Her evocative body of work delves into the delicate realm of darkness and death, creating visually haunting pieces that challenge societal norms and perceptions. Dominguez’s lens captures the raw essence of mortality, inviting viewers to contemplate the inevitable fate that awaits us all. With a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of human psyche, Dominguez illuminates the bleak and somber aspects of life, inviting introspection and contemplation. Through her art, Dominguez confronts the shadows that often reside within, crafting a powerful and poignant narrative of life and death.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kelsy Kinks is a local artist from ABQ, a member of the Artist Factory studio and co-founder of "The Gallery" located in ABQ. Her work has roots in her interest of horror, the occult and themes of sex and death. Her work comes In a large variety of mediums including sculpture, pen and ink, textile and painting.