Installation of Twilight Inks at LMCC Art Center on Governor’s Island
Winter, 2023
Winter, 2023
Over the past three years, I've been obsessively creating this series of ink paintings that explore the Queer underground, drag culture, and evolving forms of gender expression in the era before the Stonewall riots. These works are rooted in surviving materials I uncovered through research at archives across the country. During this time, it was illegal to be openly Queer or trans. Many personal items, photographs, and publications were routinely destroyed or lost—sometimes by unaccepting family members, other times by Queer individuals themselves as a means of self-protection.
I see this series as a way to forge a tangible connection to my Queer ancestors who dared to live authentically in a world that sought to erase them. Each piece is an indelible testament to their defiance and refusal to conform. With Donald Trump’s return to power riding on a wave of hatred and intolerance against the Queer community, this project isn’t just about preserving history or understanding where we come from—it’s a reminder that the fight to protect all we’ve gained is far from over.
Oct 1968