Self Portrait as my Mother at my Fathers Military Ball

Artist's Statement: "In the self-portraits that comprise my body of work Rites, I reenact ceremonies from hetero-normative, cis-gendered culture. These photographs are direct parodies of experiences my family members lived through, but also contain altered details that are more aligned with my queer experience. My work provides the opportunity to participate in celebrations, ceremonies, and rites of passage that are historically not as accessible to me as a queer-identifying person. Placing a visibly-queer character within the context of familial history, I aim to normalize the presence of LGBTQ people in a space they normally hide. Through these performances, my work questions the societal expectations and roles played by those engaged with these age old rituals, while showing the viewer the perspective of not feeling as welcomed to participate in life milestones."