The monstrosity of a quilt that is basically a clusterf*** about my gender crisis and how it has come together over the years, somewhat. On the bright side, it’s sparkly. It’s giving an abstract expression on queer joy that still has work to be done, but that’s a vibe.
For this mixed media piece, I wanted to summarize my gender identity journey and what it has meant to me. This quilt includes old pieces of clothing relating to my gender identity journey, alongside images from my childhood through present as a young queer adult. The euphoric highs of affirming clothing to slapped-together-crop-top-and-boring-blue-jean-combo lows helped me realize what is most authentic to me. Clothing doesn’t have to be tied to gender; rather, I have the power to decide what I look like, and that’s enough.
Through hand-sewing textiles, images and keepsakes, I crafted my own construction of gender, self-expression, and identity to illustrate how I present to the world, and how this will continue to change. There is an ever-evolving nature of understanding oneself and a hopeful resolution that remains. Queer voices and existences, including my own, are human and are worth celebrating: the quilt is an accumulation of my queer existence and the sense of joy, hope, and growth I have gained through learning about myself. I invite viewers to consider their own journeys and to think about it on their own terms.
