HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ARTISTIC STYLE?
"My art lies in the intersection of all my identities. My ancestors pushed back against erasure through the creation of evidence, and my work is the capsule for all my deepest emotions and experiences. I describe my earlier images as conversations with myself in my bedroom. As I transform, I now see I have a tool to have conversations in all aspects of my life.
My art style is intimate, radiant, and ever-changing. Many references to nature, mental health, and spirituality—all spaces where Fashion is all more wrapped into that ongoing archival or where I come from, who I am, and who I could be."
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DESIGN FOR YOUR DIY DOCS?
"I refer to nature in my work as a mirror of our deepest needs. A reference to a flower or rainbow is to say, 'I am deserving of joy.' Like the earth around me, I deserve nurturing, especially as someone who has the identities I do. Joy has become a concept we are told to earn. Art can be a space where you are told you are seen, even if you don't often feel that way."
HOW DO WE SUPPORT LGBTQIA+ MENTAL HEALTH ALL YEAR ROUND?
"We've been having endless conversations on what quality representation looks like, and we need more public representation of queer stories. My desire is for queer media to honor the past, be grounded in the present, and reimagine the future. Additionally we need to have a collective movement where queer kids are not just another category that needs to be accommodated. The things that cause harm to queer people are systems that keep us all oppressed. Not having access to resources, love, and freedom—are fundamental issues in our human experience right now. We shouldn't feel like the only ones asking for peace. If we could find a way for that to become clear, I believe we could have even more safe spaces."
WHERE DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION?
"I draw inspiration from life. I view my life as a process of nature, just like a plant that thrives off the water and the sun. I feel like the human experience has gotten so frigid and complex, and everyone is trying to unlearn that tension to let true self-expression in. Watching everyone around me find that footing and make art in response to that is inspiring."
"Each piece marks an epiphany in my journey of healing trauma—as it relates to existing as a Black, queer, nonbinary person. Art has been the intersection between my inner child and my intuitive, spiritual self. How do I create an archive of imagery, recording the complex emotions that surface in my lifetime?"
WHICH RESOURCES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO SOMEONE IN YOUR COMMUNITY REQUIRING SUPPORT?
I'm currently based in Boston, and some of my recommendations are:
https://www.transresistancema.com
https://jri.org/services/health-and-housing/health/boston-glass