T(ea) is for Transgender
In my series T(ea) is for Transgender, I created cyanotype portraits of fellow trans women by printing digital negatives from film photographs onto used teabags. These fragile and often discarded materials reflect how trans lives are frequently treated: overlooked, misunderstood, or cast aside. Yet through this process, our presence becomes visible, tangible, and enduring.
The choice of material carries layered meaning. In Black drag and ballroom culture, “tea” originally meant “truth,” and that truth signifies someone's transgender identity. These portraits are our truth, our visibility, our resilience. Even in the most delicate forms, we persist. We endure.
