‘Body of Work’ opens at Q Center in honor of Trans Awareness Month

Wayne Bund

If you missed the Sunday evening opening reception for “Body of Work,” a collection of art exhibited in the Q Center in honor of Transgender Awareness month, don’t fear – the show is up until Dec. 3.

Curated by Alison Picard of Bloodhound Photography, who has three photos in the show, the exhibition explores “the illusions, representations and parallels of gender construction and identity.” Just as gender is diverse, so is this show – as different mediums are showcased.

The show’s opening reception came on the heels of Communi-T, Portland’s Trans Resource Fair, which is in its second year.

“For the gallery in the South Room, traditionally we try to make it congruent with the theme of November, which is Trans Remembrance, because of Trans Day of Remembrance on the 20^th,” said Chloe Flora, a Communi-T organizer. “It needed to be trans-identified artists or artwork that represent trans community and trans culture.”

Digital photography, pigment print, graphite illustration, pen, brush and ink, collage and ceramic were all represented in the show, illustrating the many facets of gender expression.

Finn Paul had prints in the show from his A Transference of Innocence Series. One photo shows a little girl sitting on what can assume to be her father’s lap in a family room, the sweetness and intimacy between them palpable as he smokes a pipe, then another photograph shows the pair years later sitting next to each other around an outside patio table, the older man smoking a cigar, while both drink a cocktail. Though there is more physical space between them than the photo years earlier and the now older child’s gender has seemingly changed, there is ease and comfort found in the photo – true or not in reality – and a father’s sense of pride becomes apparent in a new way.

Erin Wiser, Lorenzo Triburgo, Korin Noelle Schneider, Nandi Akhilanda La Sophia, Wayne Bund and Annie Murphy all have pieces in the show – many of which are for sale.

For more information, contact the Q Center at (503) 234-7837.