The piece I selected for my self-portrait is a silicon body cast of my chest being pierced with iron oxidized nails. It is also bound to rebar wires that become ornamental elements of beauty, yet function as a material used to reinforce my body. I am fusing the organic with the industrial as signifiers of transformation and of the self-inflicted violence and modifications my body endures while maintaining its structural capacity to perform. This piece is a part of a larger series of works entitled “Antithesis,” which investigates discourses pertaining to gender identity, identity politics, technology, body dysmorphia, bio-politics, and many other topics that echoe the structure of society. Each had a “discreet collection” of their own, so joining forces “was another thing that bonded us.” They developed minimal criteria for their buying. It’s a misconception that their collection only features work by gay artists. “You don’t have to be gay,” he clarified. “The art has to resonate with gay people.” Otherwise, a work has “to at least be good,” Leslie said, “unless it’s such horrible junk that it becomes a ding an sich, a thing unto itself”—erotic camp, in other words. Mostly, the pair collected what they liked. (“Every time I hear about someone collecting something as an investment, it makes me almost vomit,” Leslie added.)

In many ways, Very Gay Paint is a long-form, drawn-out comedy sketch that Scheppard and Titus have committed to so hard that the muralist characters they’ve developed and play are now actual, real-life muralists. However, they’re clear that these characters are still very much just characters, and always will be. From an introspective stance, Pride to me is something that I embody every day and grapple with on a day-to-day basis internally and externally. My body has a trans and ambiguous identity and through wearing it every day, I’ve learned to be the most proud of it and grateful for its ability. It takes a great deal of courage to push against social constructs and be your authentic self no matter the consequences or circumstances. Pride for me is equivalent to a courageous moment, action, and overall way of being. It’s truly a powerful and yet very difficult responsibility I have to take on to challenge societal norms, so that I and others can feel like our lives are worth living. The Huldufólk are the spirits of nature in Iceland: They coexist with the landscape and are neither good nor evil. They are at once feared, but also revered as protectors of nature. In creating these images, I was interested in exploring the combination of fear and high esteem Icelandic folks hold toward the Huldufólk, and how those same themes can be applied to a trans body. Similarly, much like a body undergoing hormonal changes, Iceland itself is always shifting: from bright sun to heavy winds in the same hour, to tectonic plates crashing against one another, economic crashes, and roads being built on hundred-year-old moss fields. Learn more about the super fun and talented duo behind Very Gay Paint , from how they got started to their design process. Nicholas and Jenson give us the scoop ahead. Think of the horrible view we have of sex, even though we’re the most overly sexualized country in the world,” Leslie mused. “Scratch the surface and there is this Puritanism that goes on and on and on.” That “American prudishness,” he said, was absent in European culture. He recalled going to a government-sponsored gay bar in Amsterdam: “The first thing you saw when you walked in was this huge, long bar with a gigantic picture of Queen Juliana smiling out at her gay subjects.”

Multi-Lingual Support

My understanding is that there are no gay men who paint their nails; I would be ignorant to the extent that I know this. In a nutshell, it is a way of saying “Yep, that’s right, I’m a cool dude.” The procedure is less invasive and less permanent than piercings, and it can be avoided before a prospective employer’s next interview. In the past, there was a ban on nail varnish for people in the upper classes, regardless of gender. Women painted their nails to indicate their cleanliness around the turn of the century in France. In the 1930s, companies such as Revlon marketed red and pink nail polish directly to female customers. On a purely aesthetic level, nail polish does not work well for men. n00nice(she/they)(Rapid City, SD) - Eunice Straight Head is an Indigenous artist who is Mnicouju Lakota, from the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation. They use photography as a foundation to branch out into various creative forms, such as fashion, cosplay, beading, sewing, and more to bring Indigenous representation to the media. This isn’t a mindset I like to have, but I often think that making self-portraits is my twisted way to claim authorship over my image and not be misattributed. I’ve experienced being mistaken for someone before, and a friend has been mistaken for me, and that happens in different ways. I’ve had parts of my artist statement used to describe another queer Chinese photographer in a magazine. It might sound silly, but given the frequency of these experiences throughout my life, it’s less silly to me. Ultimately, I just want to say, “I was here, this is my work, and it may have done something for you.”

For artists, self-portraiture can be a powerful act of self-reflection. In making themselves the focus of their work, the artist reveals and expresses elements of their identity, on their own terms. They determine gesture, form, light, color, and the inclusion or exclusion of body parts; what we see is something that the artist sees within themselves, an assertion of selfhood and visibility. “It’s a power shift from being defined to defining yourself,” said artist Alannah Farrell. “A reclaiming of identity.” There is no one answer to this question as it can mean different things for different people. For some men, wearing nail polish can be a way to express their personality and style. It can also be seen as a form of self-care and self-expression. For others, it may be seen as a political statement or a way to challenge traditional gender norms. Whatever the reason, there is no one correct answer to this question. I don’t ordinarily ask the creatives I interview which design trends are gay. In fact, I would have guessed questions like that are offensive. But when talking to Nicholas Scheppard and Jenson Titus, Founders, Co-Owners, and comedians who paint at Very Gay Paint, it feels like the right thing to do.We Were Gonna Be Alright was made in the midst of the anxiety I was feeling as a queer Latinx person during the previous administration. I was extremely worried about our community and the uncertain future we were facing in regards to our freedom to love and marry. jonkung(he/they)(Detroit, MI) - Jonathan Kung teaches people not only how to cook, but also how to express their cultures and personalities in their food. Jon combines their passion for food and authenticity in their videos on TikTok and encourages people to embrace their heritage, passion, and pride.