Renowned performance artist Cassils has been appointed to the Maria Manetti Shrem Endowed Chair in the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program at UC Davis. Cassils is a Canadian transgender artist who makes their own body the material and protagonist of powerful performances that examine the histories of LGBTQIA+ violence, representation and struggle while illuminating narratives of resilience and empowerment.

“It is a tremendous honor to join one of the finest university systems in the world and to work alongside the distinguished faculty at UC Davis, whose work I deeply respect,” said Cassils, whose appointment began July 1. 

“I am grateful for the endowed chair and the opportunity to work at an R1 research institution that will allow me to continue my practice and dovetail it with my pedagogy, strengthening my work and bringing students into research,” Cassils added. 

The endowed chair was established by philanthropist and art patron Maria Manetti Shrem as part of a $20 million commitment — the largest gift to the College of Letters and Science and largest to the arts in UC Davis history. The historic gift funds eight endowments for arts and design, including three faculty chairs, launching the Maria Manetti Shrem Arts Renaissance. The initiative strengthens UC Davis’ commitment to the arts by supporting faculty excellence, advancing interdisciplinary collaboration, and expanding opportunities for students, artists and the broader community.

“We’re very proud to have such an innovative, creative artist join our community of artists and thinkers here in the College of Letters and Science,” said Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science. “Thanks to the generosity of Maria Manetti Shrem, Cassils adds to our legacy of excellence in the arts and the arts renaissance at UC Davis that we enjoy today.”

For Cassils, performance is a form of social sculpture: Drawing from the idea that bodies are formed in relation to forces of power and social expectations, Cassils' work investigates historical contexts to examine the present moment.

“I am very excited to have an artist at the international and interdisciplinary caliber of Cassils join our faculty,” said Darrin Martin, co-chair of the Department of Art and Art History. “Cassils’ breadth of imagination and uniqueness of work will open up new terrain for our students, faculty and department.”

One of Cassils’ most famous artworks, Becoming an Image, unfolds in total darkness as they strike a 2,000-pound block of clay, revealed only by the blinding bursts of a photographer's flash. The flashes leave retinal afterimages that persist after the body disappears, making vision itself an embodied act of witnessing. 

“Performance is something that is immediate, it does not need to happen inside the sanctioned space of a museum. It can take place anywhere,” said Cassils.

In 2020, Cassils turned to skywriting as the medium for In Plain Sight, a large-scale public art project organized with performance artist rafa esparza that united 80 artists to transform the sky into a platform calling for the abolition of immigrant detention and the U.S. culture of incarceration. 

Prior to joining UC Davis, Cassils has held teaching, faculty and visiting artist positions at institutions across the U.S. and Canada, including Pratt Institute, Stanford University and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

Training and mentoring have long been part of Cassils’ career as an artist. Their teaching style emphasizes building connection with people to understand their art.  

"As more of our relationships become mediated through social media and technology, the importance of liveness and embodiment as ways of connecting intellectually and emotionally has become important to both my artistic practice and my teaching,” said Cassils.

"I encourage students to think about what it means to share space together and to approach difficult topics as courageous conversations. My goal is to build a container of trust where we can openly engage with the challenges of our world."

Cassils learned the power of art from a young age, when they first saw how art creates networks of community and care. 

“Growing up as a young queer and trans child, I always knew that art is a way to have agency in a world that might not understand you,” said Cassils. “The creative process has helped me to imagine what isn’t there, manifest what we desire and need, and call to others who may see themselves reflected in that.”

As they begin teaching in the College of Letters and Science at UC Davis, Cassils will continue working on their own creative work while bringing students into the experience. Cassils’ upcoming exhibitions include solo shows at Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and the Institute of Contemporary Art in San Diego.