Attempts

Acrylic, Charcoal, and medications on canvas    2024

This artwork represents one of my most challenging endeavors, emotionally resonant and deeply personal. As I look at the canvas, each name inscribed across it brings a face to mind—each a transgender individual who suffered violence in the last four years. The map of the U.S. in the piece outlines state and national borders using these names, while the states themselves are filled with medications that I collected during my own turbulent reflections on gender identity amidst the pandemic. This piece is both a memorial and a message of resilience, intended to encourage other transgender individuals to live and thrive despite adversity. It mourns our lost allies and highlights the ongoing struggles faced by the transgender community in today’s society. 

It is my attempt to face the issue. It is their attempts at life. It was my attempt to quit. It is an attempt to bring some comfort to me and the transgender community.