“I identify as a Kenyan Indian Goan who is Canadian-slash-American,” said Brendan Fernandes, a Chicago-based artist whose work melds dance, sculpture, installation and performance, in a recent conversation. “I’m also queer, a punk rocker, and a ballerina.”
Brendan Fernandes, multimedia artist and performer, was featured in a recent New York Times article highlighting South Asian artists who explore migration and identity in their artistic practice. The article by Aruna D'Souza focuses on current and prominent artists Kelly Sinnapah Mary, Shivanjani Lal, and Ravelle Pillay along with Fernandes.
Fernandes is completing a fall residency with the Notre Dame Initiative on Race and Resilience in collaboration with DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, and the Notre Dame Arts Initiative. For information about events and performances featuring Fernandes this fall, please visits the events page.
D'Souza, Aruna. "For South Asian Artists, Identity Doesn't Fit in a Box." The New York Times, 22 Aug. 2025.
Read the full article in The New York Times
Originally published by at raceandresilience.nd.edu on August 22, 2025.