(b. St. Paul, MN 1988) Harlon Louise Baddog is a trans, disabled artist hailing from the cold mnisota (Minnesota) tundra, a descendent of white Swedish settlers who flooded Dakota and Anishinaabe Land in the 1800s. GMO corn crops and ghost towns are the heirlooms passed down from his ancestors. After a ten year long-distance love affair, Harlon finally got the guts to follow his heart into the desert. He now occupies unceded Tohono O’odham and Pascua Yaqui territories, also known as Tucson, AZ.

Harlon’s work in the past has been interdisciplinary, containing elements of scientific illustration, portraiture, collage, and photography. He creates multidimensional work that interweaves subjects related to socio-economic and environmental issues, thinking critically about the role humans play in the Sonoran Desert and surrounding borderlands. As a queer/trans person, he is interested in creating work that props up and supports his community. As a chronic pain sufferer and healer, he wants the chance to make art that showcases plants and their connection to humans. 

He works in the quiet hours of the night, in between bouts of spying on the neighborhood’s nocturnal mammals, snakes, lizards, and tarantulas. His love for the Sonoran Desert and all of its inhabitants continues to grow as he humbly learns from them with fascination and respect.