Tenderizer

Feb 28 to March 15 | Step Gallery

Opening reception | Feb 28 | 6 to 9 p.m.

Tenderizer reimagines domestic objects and tools through eccentric, subversive designs. Sculptures are activated through photo and video performance to show how tenderizing is multiform—from the quiet, unseen work of digestive enzymes to the force of a pounding gesture. The exhibition embraces the potential of both discrete persistence and direct confrontation as liberatory modes. As hybrid accessories, the sculptural forms entangle with the body, encouraging an imaginative rethinking of cleaning, repurposing and emphasizing our capacity to redefine notions of “value” altogether. They beckon acts of personal and communal pleasure, supporting those wearing them by underscoring the dignity of their life-giving labor. With the sculptures functioning as both tools for reimagining and honoring domestic tasks and instruments of defense, the work explores resilience, transformation, and the shifting boundaries between care and protection.