In Fall Term of 2022, I was able to do a gallery exhibition in University of Oregon’s Washburn Gallery entitled “You Don’t Get To Decide!”

This exhibition was really important for me. As a non-binary person and artist who found out their identity later on in life, I wanted to give space for these emotions of confusion and celebration; you can’t unfortunately have one without the other, and as such the whole exhibition explores both the positives and negatives of my personal journey. However, with certain important events that have occurred over the last couple of years, I wanted to give other pieces the right to be a part of this show as it is all about taking a stance against people who are denying your rights and existence. This can be seen through the abortion rights poster I made called “When is it our choice?” This overturn of Roe v. Wade had occurred just months before my exhibition took place.

Finding, accepting, and loving yourself and your true identity is a long and difficult process. My thought process behind this exhibition was to explore the complicated emotions in all of it through all lenses and mediums. I even made my first paintings for this specific exhibition. As such, there are many personal thoughts interjected into video, audio, and written mediums including a sketchbook that I had been using to explore my complicated identity.

While this exhibition is very personal to me. I want people to also read this from a general transgender and activist lens to be able to understand and forgive themselves for what you didn’t know. Enjoy my unofficial thesis exhibition that took place in the University of Oregon’s Washburn Gallery. :)