Title: Phobos & Beast

Artist: JoséM Maidana

Materials / Medium: Digital

Dimensions: 11 cm x 15 cm

Artist Statement: In a fantastic, and epic way, Phobos --God of Fear-- fights Beast. Lately, I have been learning and pondering upon the concepts of deviancy, queer fight, and the colonial discourses we still live in.

Title: Someday I’ll love Ariely Mejia

Artist: Ariely Mejia

Materials / Medium: Poetry, graphic design

Dimensions: 8.5 in x 11 in

Artist Statement: This piece is based on the poem “Someday I'll Love Ocean Vuong” by the Vietnamese American poet Ocean Vuong. It’s definitely one piece I struggled a lot with. The simple title of “Someday I’ll Love Ariely Mejia” was terrifying to read. It felt as though I was making a promise with myself that could easily be broken. That fear brought me back to my childhood which inspired me to write this poem in the perspective of my younger self in transition to the present. Through a saturated and imaginative lens, I reached for the vivid memories that resurface every now and then. I passed through my timeline and tracked the unexpected changes that have shaped the way I navigate my life. I believe everyone should create their own rendition of this amazing poem. In a way that you’re not just bullshitting yourself with false reassurance, but actually allowing yourself to be vulnerable.

Title: Nineteen

Artist: Lili Kunimoto

Materials / Medium: Poetry

Dimensions: 8.5 in x 11 in

Artist Statement:

Title: The Koi Basket

Artist: Lili Kunimoto

Materials / Medium: Paper, embroidery thread, and acrylic on wood

Dimensions: 52 cm x 42 cm x 2.75 cm

Artist Statement: I struggled to think of anything that could fully encapsulate “gender” in one art piece, so I looked at a childhood book full of Chinese folktales that I read as a kid. The Fishbasket Goddess tells a story of Guan Yin, who promises her hand in marriage to whichever man can throw the most money in her basket. The basket is enchanted, and all the money lands on the ground and funneled to building a bridge so people can safely cross the water from a raging dragon. To me, this basket represents an unobtainable sacred space that is inaccessible to mortal men. The basket can only be filled by her, and thus reminds me of how gender is personal, intimate, and complicated enough that simple money or art pieces cannot capture wholly. As I struggled to define what “gender” is to me— I settled on representing a center pool of fish, surrounded by paper. The origami fish are constructed, simplified, and showcase limited facets. However, they cannot fully capture the fluidity and complexity of real koi. Additionally, I have been contemplating the red string of fate tying us to our soulmate. There can be beauty in fate but it can also be confusing, restricting, and an attempt to stitch problems together that it cannot. Essentially, gender is complicated, confusing, ever changing. And yet, it is beautiful in an inexplicable way that is limited by words or paint strokes or folded paper.

Title: Untitled (Leg in Fishnet)

Artist: Evan Yerian

Materials / Medium: Fishnet, various woods, oil stain

Dimensions: 4 ft x 1.5 ft x 9 in

Artist Statement: Wood is a very personal material for me. I learned to work with wood from my father, the one whom I attribute my masculinity to. He's a general contractor and would frequently employ the help of my brother and I. We would be forced to work with him for most of our adolescents, which, frankly, I really did not enjoy. He was always hard on my brother and I. Hard to work with, hard to communicate with, hard to understand. He spoke little and when he did, he rarely showed love. Growing up, I never really understood why he did this back breaking work, why he didn't just take a day off now and again. I realize now that it was because he felt that he needed to provide for us, as if it was his duty to do so. Much like the wood in this piece, he felt he needed to display a hardness that once removed, revealed a much softer side.

I recently have been trying to un-learn ways of thinking that have been forced upon me by my father, my peers, and society. Fashion has helped with learning new ways of being. Within my own exploration, fishnet tights have been some of the most fun. Tights restrict, while at the same time display. They abstract my form in a way that nothing else does. So, I created a larger than life leg of a human, phallic in silhouette, reminiscent of the lamp from A Christmas Story, that would be abstracted by the fishnet. Similarly, when one who identifies as a man chooses to wear clothing typically reserved for women, he not only abstracts his body, but also the visual, cultural, and societal understanding of how others identify him and his gender.

Title: Untitled (Leg in Fishnet)

Artist: Evan Yerian

Materials / Medium: Fishnet, various woods, oil stain

Dimensions: 4 ft x 1.5 ft x 9 in

Artist Statement: Wood is a very personal material for me. I learned to work with wood from my father, the one whom I attribute my masculinity to. He's a general contractor and would frequently employ the help of my brother and I. We would be forced to work with him for most of our adolescents, which, frankly, I really did not enjoy. He was always hard on my brother and I. Hard to work with, hard to communicate with, hard to understand. He spoke little and when he did, he rarely showed love. Growing up, I never really understood why he did this back breaking work, why he didn't just take a day off now and again. I realize now that it was because he felt that he needed to provide for us, as if it was his duty to do so. Much like the wood in this piece, he felt he needed to display a hardness that once removed, revealed a much softer side.

I recently have been trying to un-learn ways of thinking that have been forced upon me by my father, my peers, and society. Fashion has helped with learning new ways of being. Within my own exploration, fishnet tights have been some of the most fun. Tights restrict, while at the same time display. They abstract my form in a way that nothing else does. So, I created a larger than life leg of a human, phallic in silhouette, reminiscent of the lamp from A Christmas Story, that would be abstracted by the fishnet. Similarly, when one who identifies as a man chooses to wear clothing typically reserved for women, he not only abstracts his body, but also the visual, cultural, and societal understanding of how others identify him and his gender.

Title: Untitled (Leg in Fishnet)

Artist: Evan Yerian

Materials / Medium: Fishnet, various woods, oil stain

Dimensions: 4 ft x 1.5 ft x 9 in

Artist Statement: Wood is a very personal material for me. I learned to work with wood from my father, the one whom I attribute my masculinity to. He's a general contractor and would frequently employ the help of my brother and I. We would be forced to work with him for most of our adolescents, which, frankly, I really did not enjoy. He was always hard on my brother and I. Hard to work with, hard to communicate with, hard to understand. He spoke little and when he did, he rarely showed love. Growing up, I never really understood why he did this back breaking work, why he didn't just take a day off now and again. I realize now that it was because he felt that he needed to provide for us, as if it was his duty to do so. Much like the wood in this piece, he felt he needed to display a hardness that once removed, revealed a much softer side.

I recently have been trying to un-learn ways of thinking that have been forced upon me by my father, my peers, and society. Fashion has helped with learning new ways of being. Within my own exploration, fishnet tights have been some of the most fun. Tights restrict, while at the same time display. They abstract my form in a way that nothing else does. So, I created a larger than life leg of a human, phallic in silhouette, reminiscent of the lamp from A Christmas Story, that would be abstracted by the fishnet. Similarly, when one who identifies as a man chooses to wear clothing typically reserved for women, he not only abstracts his body, but also the visual, cultural, and societal understanding of how others identify him and his gender.

Title: Untitled (Leg in Fishnet)

Artist: Evan Yerian

Materials / Medium: Fishnet, various woods, oil stain

Dimensions: 4 ft x 1.5 ft x 9 in

Artist Statement: Wood is a very personal material for me. I learned to work with wood from my father, the one whom I attribute my masculinity to. He's a general contractor and would frequently employ the help of my brother and I. We would be forced to work with him for most of our adolescents, which, frankly, I really did not enjoy. He was always hard on my brother and I. Hard to work with, hard to communicate with, hard to understand. He spoke little and when he did, he rarely showed love. Growing up, I never really understood why he did this back breaking work, why he didn't just take a day off now and again. I realize now that it was because he felt that he needed to provide for us, as if it was his duty to do so. Much like the wood in this piece, he felt he needed to display a hardness that once removed, revealed a much softer side.

I recently have been trying to un-learn ways of thinking that have been forced upon me by my father, my peers, and society. Fashion has helped with learning new ways of being. Within my own exploration, fishnet tights have been some of the most fun. Tights restrict, while at the same time display. They abstract my form in a way that nothing else does. So, I created a larger than life leg of a human, phallic in silhouette, reminiscent of the lamp from A Christmas Story, that would be abstracted by the fishnet. Similarly, when one who identifies as a man chooses to wear clothing typically reserved for women, he not only abstracts his body, but also the visual, cultural, and societal understanding of how others identify him and his gender.

Title: Sewer Rat Circus

Artist: Torin MacLaughlin

Materials / Medium: Pen, colored pencil

Dimensions: 9 in x 12 in

Artist Statement: This is the Sewer Rat Circus. A troop of unique magical rats and their charismatic ringleader. These misunderstood creatures were seen as vermin until they banded together. Through costumes, dance, music, and a little bit of magic, they are now revered as England’s most enchanting oddity. Their ring leader, Absolem is a drag queen and rat human mongrel. She was able to see these rats as more than pests, and give them a voice.

This is a character I hope to someday bring to life as my own drag persona. I have always connected with the motif of rats. I find their demonization similar to my experience as a trans person. Often times changing pronouns or names can make us be seen as, a nuisance, even though we are simply asking to be allowed to exist.

Title: Sewer Rat Circus

Artist: Torin MacLaughlin

Materials / Medium: Pen, colored pencil

Dimensions: 9 in x 12 in

Artist Statement: This is the Sewer Rat Circus. A troop of unique magical rats and their charismatic ringleader. These misunderstood creatures were seen as vermin until they banded together. Through costumes, dance, music, and a little bit of magic, they are now revered as England’s most enchanting oddity. Their ring leader, Absolem is a drag queen and rat human mongrel. She was able to see these rats as more than pests, and give them a voice.

This is a character I hope to someday bring to life as my own drag persona. I have always connected with the motif of rats. I find their demonization similar to my experience as a trans person. Often times changing pronouns or names can make us be seen as, a nuisance, even though we are simply asking to be allowed to exist.

Title: Sewer Rat Circus

Artist: Torin MacLaughlin

Materials / Medium: Pen, colored pencil

Dimensions: 9 in x 12 in

Artist Statement: This is the Sewer Rat Circus. A troop of unique magical rats and their charismatic ringleader. These misunderstood creatures were seen as vermin until they banded together. Through costumes, dance, music, and a little bit of magic, they are now revered as England’s most enchanting oddity. Their ring leader, Absolem is a drag queen and rat human mongrel. She was able to see these rats as more than pests, and give them a voice.

This is a character I hope to someday bring to life as my own drag persona. I have always connected with the motif of rats. I find their demonization similar to my experience as a trans person. Often times changing pronouns or names can make us be seen as, a nuisance, even though we are simply asking to be allowed to exist.

Title: Sewer Rat Circus

Artist: Torin MacLaughlin

Materials / Medium: Pen, colored pencil

Dimensions: 9 in x 12 in

Artist Statement: This is the Sewer Rat Circus. A troop of unique magical rats and their charismatic ringleader. These misunderstood creatures were seen as vermin until they banded together. Through costumes, dance, music, and a little bit of magic, they are now revered as England’s most enchanting oddity. Their ring leader, Absolem is a drag queen and rat human mongrel. She was able to see these rats as more than pests, and give them a voice.

This is a character I hope to someday bring to life as my own drag persona. I have always connected with the motif of rats. I find their demonization similar to my experience as a trans person. Often times changing pronouns or names can make us be seen as, a nuisance, even though we are simply asking to be allowed to exist.

Title: Nourishment

Artist: Ella Jones

Materials / Medium: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 36 in x24 in

Artist Statement: Many of my paintings portray figures in a natural setting, where nature becomes an agent to express my own outlandish fantasies. "Nourishment" is a fantastical depiction of the reproductive cycle, as well as the cycle of knowledge. When a creature produces life, they often nourish their offspring's ideas, morals, behaviors and schemas based on their own. In a more literal sense, this painting reflects how the knowledge we as individuals acquire is passed along generationally. This painting depicts a young female, emblematic of my mother, who is quite literally feeding her offspring with the fruit which is growing from her own skull. Though this painting carries quite literal meaning for me, my hope is that any audience to this piece may find that the cyclical nature of the painting resonates with a cycle in their life, whether it be the creation of new life, of art, of habits, or anything which invokes the act of creating.

Title: Niña

Artist: Sheyla Dorantes Sanchez

Materials / Medium: Poetry

Dimensions: 1080 px x 1080 px

Artist Statement: These pieces were written as a way to express my frustration and experience as a Queer Latina. The piece "Niña" was modeled after Jamaica Kincaid's short story "Girl" and expresses the expectations placed upon young Latina. "My Most Recent Google Searches" reflects my struggle with seeking queer Latinx representation in my very restrictive household. Hope you enjoy!

Title: A Taste Another Tomorrow

Artist: Zach Reinker

Materials / Medium: Graphite Sketch, Digital Rendering (Procreate)

Dimensions: W: 2550px H: 3801px

Artist Statement: This started as a commentary on the inconsistency of gender. But if I’m honest, I lost my sense of direction part way through, so I can’t explain everything. Maybe that’s a good thing. Gender labels, from my perspective, will always be placeholders. I don't think I'll ever be on stable ground when it comes to gender. This is upsetting at times, but it also means I'll never be stuck. I wanted to visualize this feeling of constant transition, and I wanted to use surreality and fantasy to do it. Fantasy isn't the opposite of reality; it's the essence of reality with weird frills and filters. “Visceral essence” was the theme I wanted to build from. I started this piece with the idea of three humanoids fused together—always stretching and growing and changing—never perfect but never trapped. I gave the creature cracking skin and bloody fingers—not to emphasize pain, but to suggest its inevitability. I added the faces and the red cords next. The cords spill out from inside the creature, snaring and holding it loosely together. They are guidelines, making sure the creature doesn’t stretch too far from its personal truth. The faces—not masks, they’re all true—are peeled off one at a time, discarded, and replaced with new expressions. Identities, some large, some small, are made and abandoned but never completely gone. Some are retrieved frequently, others may be used once. I added the mirrors last as a nod to the physical aspects of gender reflection. They’re everywhere, but also foggy, and thus never reflect back truly accurate portrayals of the creature’s self. The creature inside each of us lives in dim light, only being able to see itself and only barely—yet it lives on. And this is a comforting thought.

Title: A Taste Another Tomorrow

Artist: Zach Reinker

Materials / Medium: Graphite Sketch, Digital Rendering (Procreate)

Dimensions: W: 2550px H: 3801px

Artist Statement: This started as a commentary on the inconsistency of gender. But if I’m honest, I lost my sense of direction part way through, so I can’t explain everything. Maybe that’s a good thing. Gender labels, from my perspective, will always be placeholders. I don't think I'll ever be on stable ground when it comes to gender. This is upsetting at times, but it also means I'll never be stuck. I wanted to visualize this feeling of constant transition, and I wanted to use surreality and fantasy to do it. Fantasy isn't the opposite of reality; it's the essence of reality with weird frills and filters. “Visceral essence” was the theme I wanted to build from. I started this piece with the idea of three humanoids fused together—always stretching and growing and changing—never perfect but never trapped. I gave the creature cracking skin and bloody fingers—not to emphasize pain, but to suggest its inevitability. I added the faces and the red cords next. The cords spill out from inside the creature, snaring and holding it loosely together. They are guidelines, making sure the creature doesn’t stretch too far from its personal truth. The faces—not masks, they’re all true—are peeled off one at a time, discarded, and replaced with new expressions. Identities, some large, some small, are made and abandoned but never completely gone. Some are retrieved frequently, others may be used once. I added the mirrors last as a nod to the physical aspects of gender reflection. They’re everywhere, but also foggy, and thus never reflect back truly accurate portrayals of the creature’s self. The creature inside each of us lives in dim light, only being able to see itself and only barely—yet it lives on. And this is a comforting thought.

Title: A Taste Another Tomorrow

Artist: Zach Reinker

Materials / Medium: Graphite Sketch, Digital Rendering (Procreate)

Dimensions: W: 2550px H: 3801px

Artist Statement: This started as a commentary on the inconsistency of gender. But if I’m honest, I lost my sense of direction part way through, so I can’t explain everything. Maybe that’s a good thing. Gender labels, from my perspective, will always be placeholders. I don't think I'll ever be on stable ground when it comes to gender. This is upsetting at times, but it also means I'll never be stuck. I wanted to visualize this feeling of constant transition, and I wanted to use surreality and fantasy to do it. Fantasy isn't the opposite of reality; it's the essence of reality with weird frills and filters. “Visceral essence” was the theme I wanted to build from. I started this piece with the idea of three humanoids fused together—always stretching and growing and changing—never perfect but never trapped. I gave the creature cracking skin and bloody fingers—not to emphasize pain, but to suggest its inevitability. I added the faces and the red cords next. The cords spill out from inside the creature, snaring and holding it loosely together. They are guidelines, making sure the creature doesn’t stretch too far from its personal truth. The faces—not masks, they’re all true—are peeled off one at a time, discarded, and replaced with new expressions. Identities, some large, some small, are made and abandoned but never completely gone. Some are retrieved frequently, others may be used once. I added the mirrors last as a nod to the physical aspects of gender reflection. They’re everywhere, but also foggy, and thus never reflect back truly accurate portrayals of the creature’s self. The creature inside each of us lives in dim light, only being able to see itself and only barely—yet it lives on. And this is a comforting thought.

Title: A Taste Another Tomorrow

Artist: Zach Reinker

Materials / Medium: Graphite Sketch, Digital Rendering (Procreate)

Dimensions: W: 2550px H: 3801px

Artist Statement: This started as a commentary on the inconsistency of gender. But if I’m honest, I lost my sense of direction part way through, so I can’t explain everything. Maybe that’s a good thing. Gender labels, from my perspective, will always be placeholders. I don't think I'll ever be on stable ground when it comes to gender. This is upsetting at times, but it also means I'll never be stuck. I wanted to visualize this feeling of constant transition, and I wanted to use surreality and fantasy to do it. Fantasy isn't the opposite of reality; it's the essence of reality with weird frills and filters. “Visceral essence” was the theme I wanted to build from. I started this piece with the idea of three humanoids fused together—always stretching and growing and changing—never perfect but never trapped. I gave the creature cracking skin and bloody fingers—not to emphasize pain, but to suggest its inevitability. I added the faces and the red cords next. The cords spill out from inside the creature, snaring and holding it loosely together. They are guidelines, making sure the creature doesn’t stretch too far from its personal truth. The faces—not masks, they’re all true—are peeled off one at a time, discarded, and replaced with new expressions. Identities, some large, some small, are made and abandoned but never completely gone. Some are retrieved frequently, others may be used once. I added the mirrors last as a nod to the physical aspects of gender reflection. They’re everywhere, but also foggy, and thus never reflect back truly accurate portrayals of the creature’s self. The creature inside each of us lives in dim light, only being able to see itself and only barely—yet it lives on. And this is a comforting thought.

Title: Untitled (Hiding)

Artist: Nicole Catherine Vannewkirk

Materials / Medium: oil paint and fiberboard

Dimensions: 24 in x 24 in

Artist Statement: In this piece, I highlight the separation between the feminine form and personal identity. The feminine form has historically been used as an object of the gaze which has separated the individual from the image of the body. I created this piece after seeing a Calvin Klein ad for underwear. The models were curved and contorted into obviously uncomfortable positions in order to show their thinness. Their faces were turned away from the viewer and their bodies were the focus of the ad. I highlight the visibility of the figure’s shoulder blades and ribs to emulate this ad. The head is crossed out to visualize this loss of identity for many femme people within advertising and media. This body is also contoured into the shape of a square to symbolize a body within the box of social beauty standards.

Title: Untitled (Hiding)

Artist: Nicole Catherine Vannewkirk

Materials / Medium: oil paint and fiberboard

Dimensions: 24 in x 24 in

Artist Statement: In this piece, I highlight the separation between the feminine form and personal identity. The feminine form has historically been used as an object of the gaze which has separated the individual from the image of the body. I created this piece after seeing a Calvin Klein ad for underwear. The models were curved and contorted into obviously uncomfortable positions in order to show their thinness. Their faces were turned away from the viewer and their bodies were the focus of the ad. I highlight the visibility of the figure’s shoulder blades and ribs to emulate this ad. The head is crossed out to visualize this loss of identity for many femme people within advertising and media. This body is also contoured into the shape of a square to symbolize a body within the box of social beauty standards.

Title: Rainbow Quartz

Artist: Samantha Ayoob

Materials / Medium: Digital photography

Dimensions: 3000 px  × 1218 px

Artist Statement: Color and its visual impact often inspire my photographic choices. This image, part of a series titled "Primary Gems," is a reflection of emotional expression through color and correlating gemstones. The first, ruby, represents lust and romance. The second, citrine, embodies playfulness and fun. Finally, lapis displays tranquility and contemplation. The title of the piece, "Rainbow Quartz", is a representation of combining all the gemstones into one cohesive picture. It shows the variety within individuality, and how nobody should be forced to choose merely one identity.

I hope the audience picks up on the positive energy of the piece. I want them to feel that I was inspired by both color and my subject. The message that I intended to portray is that femininity is a broad and inclusive concept. Is a shaved head feminine? Is makeup feminine? Is color feminine? My model, Mickey Skinner, is nonbinary and gay. They are comfortable with all aspects of their sexuality and gender. They feel happy embracing both their feminine and masculine sides, “This photoshoot was an easy, open space for me to express my femininity and masculinity within my transness. As a trans nonbinary person, it’s easy to reject femininity or masculinity, so getting to truly express how I feel with art and makeup and photography was liberating!”

Title: Visualizing "Clothes" by Anne Sexton

Artist: Sara Santos

Materials / Medium: Photography

Dimensions: 7 in x7 in, 10 photographs

Artist Statement: Throughout this poem, Sexton speaks to God as she proclaims all that she wishes to bring to the afterlife. The author talks about the purity and innocence that others hoped to see in her, like her mother or lovers, but then she counters them with all the ways she was sinful. The ideas of holiness explored are symbolized in her descriptions of clothing. The poem ends with a confession about how innocence would have let her die “full of questions” if she had chosen that path.

This series is inspired by what Sexton confesses in "Clothes". It explores constricting expectations put on women. A row of light illustrates innocence and purity. And a row of darkness represents the irreligious and sinful.

Title: The contents of a name

Artist: Anya Upson

Materials / Medium: Graphite and gouache on tinted paper

Dimensions: 12 in x 20 in

Artist Statement: For this project I wanted to explore the complex emotions I have around my name and cultural history. While I mostly like my name, with the rarity of getting to choose one's name, with that choice come complicated emotions. I chose my name at the age of 13 soon after I came out to my parents, and quickly felt uncomfortable with the male one assigned to me at birth. I chose the name Anya after the movie Anastasia (and Buffy but this isn’t about that), which depicts the Russian princess Anastasia somehow surviving the events after the Russian revolution. At the time of choosing my name I wanted to use my choice as a way to be closer to my heritage, however, I didn’t know what the name entailed. The house of Romanov were tyrants, who considered the Russian public so inconsequential as to not worry about their wellbeing or even attempting to win them over. Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna, the last Tsarina of Russia was a strong believer in divine right doctrine, and famously did nothing to win the public; eventually leading to her execution in the basement of the house of the Ipatiev House. Furthered by extreme poverty and hunger in contrast to the excessive wealth of the Tsardom, it is easy to see why the subsequent events took place.

This piece is an attempt to explore that history- a history that is now legally tied to me though my name, personally though my gender, and culturally though my identity. A name which is the first way people interact with me, and an important way of how I define myself as a trans person. The specific objects in the piece tie into this narrative, with the jewelry mainly being owned by Alexandra Feodorovna, most of which has been lost to time after its seizure by the Bolsheviks. The building in the background is the cathedral of St Peter and Paul in St Petersburg, the location where most of the House of Romanov are buried and a final location of royalist pilgrimage. Regardless of who the figure is, the main message I wanted to convey with this piece is that wealth, as we saw with the Romanovs, does not make one invincible to imminent change. While it is true that with impending climate change and sea level rise, the ones least responsible for global emissions are the ones at the greatest risk - I do not mean to minimize this truth. However, I also believe - maybe as just a way to keep my sanity - that those most responsible for this crisis we are facing will too be affected by this disaster. At the point when the city floods, no matter how much wealth one hoards, no matter how many jewels one owns, every body is capable of drowning.

Title: "In Between Takes"
"Take 5"
"Small Break"

Artist: Amelia Madarang

Materials / Medium: Watercolors, colored pencils, watercolor paper

Dimensions: 4 in x 6 in, 3 paintings

Artist Statement: Bright colors, patterns, clear lines, and decorations all reveal the characteristics of those who chose or created them. Historians and anthropologists frequently employ ornamental artifacts (pots, jewelry, frescoes, etc.) of bygone societies to get valuable insight into the lives of the people who created them; similarly, our design choices now can provide a cultural portrait. In these pieces I tried to create intimate moments of presentations of the "self" when in private. I chose to focus on the moments in between the presentation of the "self" to the outer world with the background filled with patterns. The names of these pieces allude to sex work which has the same elements of observer and observed in the private yet public way. I want the viewer to feel like they are observing a moment that would be changed if the subject knew they were being observed.

Title: I love you

Artist: Yuuki Motani

Materials / Medium: Digital (Clip Studio Paint)

Dimensions: 7 in x 10.75 in, 350dpi

Artist Statement: When I first heard about LC’s Gender Symposium, I was excited to participate as an outside student since I hadn’t made art for myself for a while. I hoped to create a piece that reflected both my Japanese heritage and complex feelings towards my own gender. Growing up, I was influenced by Japanese animation and comics more than any other form of entertainment. Instead of getting up at 8 A.M. on Sundays to watch cartoons, I would pester my father to download the latest episode of my favorite anime. On weekends I attended a Japanese school, but was never really good at it. Getting an A on a test required even more work on top of elementary school on the weekdays, which was hard for an undiagnosed, neurodivergent child like me. Although I’m thankful now that my parents made me go, in many ways I felt like a failure. A good Japanese girl never got upset, listened to her parents, and studied well. Not to mention how the rigid, heteronormative standards projected by both American and Japanese societies made my evident attraction towards girls confusing. As the saying goes, do I want to be you or do I want to kiss you? This fantasy of the perfect girl became null and hollow as I grew older, after many failed attempts at emulating who I thought she was. I still find feelings of envy and contempt for her and her life full of love and adoration I could never have. I’m still learning, and in recent years I’m much happier being myself.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: Digital Miscommunications (AI Distortions)

Artist: Halz

Materials / Medium: Artificial intelligence

Dimensions: 5.94 in x 2.98 in (size of an iPhone 11 screen)

Artist Statement: In order to create this work, I have utilized artificial intelligence to distort screenshots of conversations I have had with people in my life. I have taken the first message seen on the screenshot and translated it into every language on Google Translate, then back to English to allow for the technology to create a distortion between what was originally said, and what is understood after being misinterpreted by the technology. I then utilize this misinterpretation as a keyword to guide the AI. My inspiration for this work has been my own experience with digitally-mediated communication, and the way technology can distort messages by the time they get to the message receiver; creating distance and rifts in personal relationships. When we are immersed into the "fantasy world" of technology, we miss out on social and physical cues, and often misunderstand what is being sent to us. It is my hope that my audience may begin thinking about how digitally-mediated technology may be effecting the relationships in their own lives, and partake in philosophical conversations with their loved ones about how each of them interpret different messages, and how to be more clear with one another in the digital space.

Title: sunshine

Artist: Maia Foster-O'Neal

Materials / Medium: Ink on paper

Dimensions: 6 in x6 in, 20pg + cover

Artist Statement: As a cartoonist, I inhabit a world suspended in an in-between state, an amalgamation of two domains that are generally considered discrete disciplines: art and language, pictures and words. What I love about this format is the exponential possibility within this interstitial space. The expansiveness of comics, the both/and nature of them, reflects my personal relationship with gender too: it is a complex, creative playground where schematic rules are rendered more and more meaningless the longer you scratch at them. When I sit down to compose autobiographical comics like this, it’s a messy, recursive, iterative process, an unspooling of words and feelings and images that gradually refine themselves into the semblance of a cohesive narrative. It is as much an act of reflection as it as an act of creation: I am creating the story of who I am as I live it. As with all memoir, my hope is that this piece sparks a connection between me as the creator and you as the viewer. I hope you are able to see glimmers of yourself in my story, and that even if just for a single blazing moment, you feel a little bit less alone in the cold and unknowable depths of existence.