This Rhythm That's Mine features works by Intisar Abioto, Willemijn Bolks, Aaaalexandra Martins, Wendy Ronaldson, and Olivia Simmons (plus work by JJJJJerome Ellis). The exhibition’s title comes from a poem (featured in the show) written by Simmons. With abundant humor, imagination, and skill, these artists—all of whom identify as people who stutter—consider how stuttering intersects with identity, family, politics, nature, and more. This Rhythm That’s Mine was co-curated by JJJJJerome Ellis and Julia Leone and Aidan Sank from SPACE.

Intisar Abioto (b. Memphis, TN, 1986) is an artist working across photography, dance, and writing. Moving from the visionary and embodied root of Blackgirl Southern cross-temporal cross-modal storytelling ways, her works refer to the living breath and breadth of people of African descent against the expanse of their storied, imaginative, and geographic landscapes. Working in long-form projects encompassing the visual, folkloric, documentary, and performing arts, she has produced The People Could Fly Project, The Black Portlanders, and The Black. With the five women artists in her family, she is the co-founder of Studio Abioto, a multivalent creative arts studio.

Willemijn Bolks (b. 1999) is an artist and a person who stutters from the Netherlands. She has found that creating art about stuttering and connecting with the community has greatly helped her on her journey toward acceptance and joy. By sharing her work and helping to organize activities and events, she hopes to give back to the community and support others on their journey.

Aaaalexandra Martins is a non-binary artist who stutters. She lives in Brazil. Aaaalexandra manages the profile Vozes Gagas (Stuttering Voices), where she produces informative content about stuttering. She is the Communications Director for the Disability Pride Parade Brazil.

Wendy Ronaldson: I was born on March 27, 1964, in N.E. Lincolnshire. I am a British artist working in various media-mixed media, drawing, film, installation art, sculpture, and painting, using and reflecting on my own personal experiences in private and social spaces, which inform my behaviours as a person who stammers.

I grew up in a small village called Goxhill along with 6 other Siblings, one of those an identical twin sister who also stammers. After school, I went on to study for a BA in fine art at Grimsby University and an MA in fine art at Lincoln University. I was still inquisitive and wanted to learn more; I am currently studying for an MSc in Art Psychotherapy at Sheffield Hallam University.

I have had several solo and joint exhibitions in and around Lincolnshire and Scotland. My work also spills out into the community, for example, I have collaborated (and still collaborating) with a speech and language therapist exploring the stammering iceberg at the Liverpool STAMMAFest 2022 conference.

I have also run several workshops exploring perfectionism, and I have been honoured to be invited to share my experiences with the general public through the help of others through several books, magazines and speech and language publications.

My practice explores speech, a communication method and the ‘in-between,’ in relation to stammering and private and public spaces, and how this affects thoughts and human behaviour. I initially like to work spontaneously, without a plan; this spontaneous action springboards me into developing a bigger project; this is driven by ‘It has to feel right.’ My work is sometimes considered ‘confessional’ and ‘Beauty in the Eye of the Beholder.’

Olivia Simmons is a 16-year-old native New Yorker who is living with a stutter. Olivia has been stuttering since the tender age of 5, and all of her experiences, good and bad, have molded her into the person she is today. Olivia has interest in fashion, writing, traveling and listening to music, however her favorite one is writing poetry. She is extremely passionate about equal and fair treatment for all, as one of her goals is to become a better listener, especially to people in the stuttering community. This past summer, she was fortunate to be a part of SPACE's exhibit at the Whitney Museum on stuttering, where she recited her personal poetry. That wonderful moment she will never forget. Olivia is honored to be a part of the SPACE community, to share information, resources, advocate and mentor, and to be a voice for those who may feel they have none. Olivia's stutter has become her friend.

JJJJJerome Ellis (any pronoun) is a disabled Grenadian-Jamaican-American artist, surfer, and person who stutters. The artist works across music, performance, writing, video, and photography. JJJJJerome has the great privilege of being married to poet-ecologist Luísa Black Ellis. They live in a monastery on a creek in traditional Chesapeake and Nansemond territory. JJJJJerome dreams of building a sonic bath house!

SPACE (Stuttering, People, Arts, Community, Education) is a nonprofit organization working to create more space for stuttering and change the way the world listens. SPACE creates a more inclusive and accessible world for people who stutter through arts, education, and advocacy. We specialize in facilitating professional listening workshops for businesses and schools to teach better listening to all through the lens of stuttering, offering unique online community and arts programs for people ages 7–23 who stutter, and carrying out advocacy initiatives to reduce stigma and increase stuttering representation in media. Learn more about SPACE at www.spacetostutter.org.