This piece is my modern interpretation of the Fates from classical mythology. The Fates were the arbiters of life and the natural order, and this was symbolized by spinning, measuring, and cutting the thread of life; and no one – not even the gods – were above them. Here, I am reimagining them as trans people, choosing their own destinies. As a trans person myself in the current political climate, this is me thumbing my proverbial nose at the idea that we are “unnatural” or “dangerous.”

As for the aesthetics, I was heavily influenced by art nouveau designs and the gold filigree border is a direct nod to the stylistic choices of that era. John Singer Sargent’s murals in the Boston Museum of Fine Art in particular were a huge source of inspiration.

I rendered the forms primarily in watercolor, with final details added in gouache and colored pencil. The filigree border was cut by hand, embossed, and painted with two different gold paints to simulate the warm look of gold leaf.