Season 6, Episode 1 | Brian Van Camerik

In the premiere of Season 6, we explore the transformative artistry of Brian Van Camerik. Known for his meticulous homage to history and queer resilience, Van Camerik reclaims the narrative of queer identity through his Homosocial project and the poignant series A Little Queer. Inspired by 16th-century portrait miniatures, his work layers historical elegance with contemporary queerness, turning slurs and symbols of stigma into emblems of empowerment.

This episode delves into the intimate windows Van Camerik creates—both in his art and his reflections on queerness, HIV/AIDS, and the ongoing redefinition of identity. “The term ‘queer’ was once a slur,” he shares. “Now it’s a source of pride. My work engages with other slurs and taboos to guide them toward a similar reassessment.”

Join us as Van Camerik discusses how his art challenges stigma, celebrates queer intimacy, and rewrites the narratives surrounding the HIV/AIDS crisis. His insights illuminate the power of art to transform pain into beauty and reclaim humanity’s overlooked fragments.

Visit Foto(grafia) 2025 at The Studio Door in San Diego, CA, with the show opening January 8th. Van Camerik’s work will be featured as part of the group exhibition until February 8th and online with the Foto(grafia) group show or his solo exhibition A Little Queer.

Stream the episode now on iHeart, Spotify, or Apple Podcasts, and discover Van Camerik’s work in Volume 4 of TBQA: Pink Tide, available for free at TheBureauOfQueerArt.com.