Oliverio V. Rodriguez

Oli Rodriguez (they/he) is an interdisciplinary lens-based artist, writer, and poet. Their intersectional research and interdisciplinary projects conceptually focus on queerness, gender, appropriation, performative interactions, visualizing familial and other representations of the AIDS pandemic, while referencing historical movements in gender, racial, and feminist histories. His publication, Papi, archives the AIDS pandemic through his queer, POC family in Chicago during the 1980s. ​​​​​​​He also just finished his short documentary film, LYNDALE (2018), currently distributed by Video Data Bank (VDB). Also, his feature documentary, Papi's Pregnant (2025), chronicles his queer pregnancy. ​​​​​​​Rodriguez has screened, lectured and exhibited his works internationally and nationally.

Awards: 1619 Education Project Grant, The Pulitzer Centre (2021); Editors Prize for Visual Poetry, The Poetry Foundation (2021); Diverse Voices in Docs (DVID) Fellowship, Kartemquin Films (2020); Best Short Experimental Documentary, Iowa City Documentary Film Festival (2019); Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) Grant (2018); The School of the Art Institute of Chicago Faculty Grant (2014–2018); Diversifying Faculty Initiative Grant (DFI) Recipient (2003–2006); McNair Fellow National Grant (2002–2005). Publications: Papi, Oli Rodriguez, Artist Book, Candor Arts Press; Transgender Studies Quartely 8 no.1, Chasing Papi: A Study in Virulence and Virtuality, Robb Hernandez, Transgender Studies Quarterly (TSQ), Duke University Press; Papi, Papi, Papi, Oli Rodriguez, Poetry Magazine, Poetry Foundation, Papi, Papi, Papi, Podcast: Oli Rodriguez in conversation with Xandria Phillips; Art AIDS America / Art AIDS America Chicago, Jonathan David Katz, Rock Hushka and Staci Boris, feat. The Papi Project, Alphawood Foundation, University of Washington Press; Trans Studies en las Américas, Oliverio Rodriguez's The Last Seduction/La Seducción Fatal (2015–): Activating the Obvious as Queer Technique. Exhibitions: Papi, Papi, Papi, Iceberg Projects, Chicago, IL (2021); A familiar panting., FLXST Contemporary, Chicago, IL (2019); The Last Seduction/La Seducción Fatal, Bert Green Fine Art Gallery, Chicago, IL (2019); The Last Seduction/La Seducción Fatal, Bert Green Fine Art Gallery, Chicago, IL (2016); Art, AIDS in America, Alphawood Foundation, Chicago, IL (2017); And one day this kid will get larger., DePaul Art Museum, Chicago, IL (2017); HE: Questioning and Queering Masculinity, Last Projects, Los Angeles, CA (2017); Precariat, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago, IL (2017).