T(ea) is for Transgender
In my series T(ea) is for Transgender, I created cyanotype portraits of fellow trans women by contact printing transparency film negatives derived from 35mm film photographs onto teabags.
Teabags, fragile and often discarded, reflect how trans lives are frequently treated by society: overlooked, misunderstood, or cast aside. Yet through this printing process, our presence becomes visible and tangible. The choice of material carries layered meaning. In Black ballroom and LGBT culture, “tea” originally meant “truth,” and that truth signifies someone's transgender identity. These portraits show our truth, our presence, our identities.
This series is my tribute to all the beautiful transgender women I have met during parties and raves. Trans lives are part of culture and history. Even in the most delicate forms, we persist. We endure.
