Baker Artist Portfolios

BIO and Artist Statement

BIO

David Waire, professionally known as DJ AAVE and AAVE, is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural disruptor whose work spans wearable art, soundscapes, video, and drag performance. Rooted in Black and Queer culture, AAVE’s artistry celebrates self-expression, resilience, and community while challenging conventions with bold, immersive creations.

Drawing inspiration from camp, pop culture, absurdity, and anti-culture, AAVE crafts art that is as unapologetically vibrant as it is subversive. Camp’s exaggerated theatricality shines in AAVE’s oversized bows and spiked metallic armor, where gaudiness becomes a reclamation of visibility. Pop culture informs the reimagining of iconic imagery—like their reinterpretation of Divine’s Pink Flamingos look—while absurdity disrupts expectations, as seen in performances where wearable sculptures like milk-dispensing breastplates become tools of surreal storytelling. Anti-culture drives AAVE to critique dominant narratives, transforming discarded materials and overlooked symbols into extraordinary works of art, turning the forgotten into the celebrated.

AAVE’s wearable sculptures transcend functionality, merging fashion and performance into dynamic statements of empowerment. Every stitch, pleat, and embellishment is handcrafted to reclaim narratives of resilience and self-expression. In Plaid Rebirth, thrifted garments become a vibrant ensemble that addresses sustainability and Black queer artistry, while Chrome Self Protection transforms the body into a spiked fortress of defiance, reflecting on survival and autonomy.

AAVE’s performances are immersive environments where sculptural costumes, curated soundscapes, and movement converge. Each performance transforms the stage into a living installation, from headline events like the Baltimore Trans Pride After Show to intimate drag bingo nights that build community and visibility. Sound design plays a pivotal role, with AAVE blending club, vogue, and hip-hop beats into soundscapes that amplify their visual art. Viral TikTok remixes and over 150,000 SoundCloud streams attest to AAVE’s ability to captivate audiences across platforms.

Through wearable sculpture, sound, and performance, AAVE reclaims spaces and identities while inviting audiences to reconsider their perceptions of art, culture, and identity. Their work is a celebration of individuality and resilience, showing that beauty, power, and transformation can thrive even in the most unexpected places.

Artist Statement
My work is a celebration of transformation, resilience, and identity. Rooted in Black and Queer culture, I draw from the aesthetics of camp, pop culture, absurdity, and anti-culture to create immersive, multidisciplinary experiences that challenge conventional narratives. Through wearable art, soundscapes, photography, and drag performance, I merge the personal with the cultural, reclaiming visibility for marginalized identities.

Each piece I create is an exploration of boldness and defiance. From oversized, spiked armor symbolizing self-protection (Chrome Self Protection), to vibrant upcycled ensembles addressing sustainability and Black queer artistry (Plaid Rebirth), my work seeks to reimagine the forgotten and transform it into something extraordinary. By blending cultural motifs, theatricality, and subversion, I aim to turn everyday materials and symbols into dynamic statements of empowerment.

At the core of my practice is the act of reclamation. Whether remixing iconic imagery like Divine’s Pink Flamingos look, or designing surreal performances that incorporate wearable sculptures like milk-dispensing breastplates, I use art to challenge perceptions of beauty, value, and belonging. My soundscapes and visual storytelling amplify these messages, creating immersive environments that connect audiences to the themes of resilience and self-expression.

Through my work, I invite viewers to engage with the intersections of art, identity, and culture. What does it mean to reclaim space in a world that often marginalizes us? How can camp and drag become tools for visibility and joy? My art is both a celebration and a provocation, demonstrating that beauty and power can thrive even in the most unexpected places.