Kim Leutwyler revisits the mythic figure of the cowboy, unravelling its ties to masculinity, exclusion, and frontier violence. Drawing on their experience growing up queer and gender-diverse in the Arizona desert, Leutwyler returns to the landscapes and symbols of childhood to reclaim them.

Marking a significant expansion of their practice, Leutwyler also re-engages with ceramics after a 19-year hiatus, introducing sculptural works that echo processes of fragmentation and repair. Cut canvas, embroidery, and hybrid ceramic forms sit alongside recast cowboy objects—spurs, horse bits, and trophies.

Both a reckoning and a return, Desert Ballads and Sharp Spurs is an exhibition about healing, survival, and reclaiming identity on one’s own terms.