On June 5th, Bunker Projects celebrates our newest exhibition, I LOVE FURRY, curated by photographer and artist Tommy Bruce. I LOVE FURRY is Bruce’s first endeavor into curatorial and social practice methods. This exhibition showcases photos, relics, and ephemera gathered from furry community responses to prompts designed by the curator to honor specific facets and traditions of this subculture.

I LOVE FURRY illustrates a core concept of the furry scene—that there is no true center to the mass. Lovingly rendered fursona illustrations sit alongside snapshots of parties, vivid recollections of adolescent internet searches, slowly amassed collections of badges, and hypnotic videos of beckoning fursuiters.

I LOVE FURRY is an aggregate record of the powerful and deeply felt experiences furry creates. For Bruce, “furry is about building a world together, where each participant finds a way to add depth to our collective fantasy.” Beyond a simple hobby for costuming and illustration, the exhibition establishes the furry community as a source of radical experimentation, joyous transformation and vital connection for generations of queer and neurodivergent people. 

Bruce calls the show  “A letter to my younger self, who once thought this was an embarrassing and unimportant identity to hold. Looking at the submissions in this show—the meaningful life so many people have made through furry—all I can think is, ‘Why would you ever be ashamed of this?’”

The exhibition opens on June 5th and will hold a special closing reception during Anthrocon on Friday, July 3rd. Programming throughout the length of the exhibition will be announced on Bunker Projects social media pages.

Tommy Bruce is an artist based in Portland, Oregon. His work explores the formation of identity in contemporary culture through work with the Furry community. His work has been featured in exhibitions and publications internationally, including Art in America, The Institute for Contemporary Art Philadelphia, Vice, Lenscratch, and ArtForum. He has advocated for the legitimacy and value of the Furry community through public presentations, exhibitions, and programming for more than a decade.