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Protagonists
Laurence
Laurence may be a night owl, but their love for light and super-saturated colour is just as prominent in their work as an artist as it is in their personal life, including in their passion for fashion and home decor. At any given moment, you’re liable to find Laurence . . .
- Napping
- Puttering in the garden
- Playing with their Sphynx kitty Vashti (@queenvashtisphynx)
- Drinking three beverages at once
- And making lists!
Laurence was in their teens when they first began creating images and posting them on social media. In 2014, they came to international attention when Vogue named them the recipient of the Flickr 20under20 Curator’s Choice Award. Their talents have since featured in campaigns by some of the industry’s biggest players, including Apple, Adidas, Lacoste and Calvin Klein. Today, as a trans non-binary artist, Laurence puts the focus of their work on gender diversity. Their projects Non-Binary Series, Lucky and Me vs Others have reached viewers worldwide through numerous shows and publications.
Laurence’s first monograph Puberty documents two years during which they undergo hormone therapy. Through intimate revelations and autobiographical images, their day-to-day experience is used to present little-known details of life as a transgender person — hormone injections, for example, or non-binary nudity — in a positive light. Under Laurence’s gaze, the camera becomes a process of self and mutual care, where vulnerability turns to strength and the humanity of those who are all too often marginalized is celebrated through vibrant hues. For Laurence, fluorescent pink and neon orange aren’t just pretty: they’re also political.
Laurence hopes to see a future where trans people are protected and recognized under the law, free from discrimination as they access social services, housing, financial stability and health care. Their most cherished wish? To live in a society that has evolved to show more love and respect to people who don’t neatly fit into gendered norms and expectations.
Nina
Nina has had to fight for their safe space, literally as well as figuratively! They were once a member of the League of Lady Wrestlers, a feminist and performative art movement that tackled gender stereotypes in the wrestling ring. This context conducive to exploration and self-discovery helped Nina accept themself as queer. Above all, it taught them that you must show up authentically, as yourself, in the relationships and communities you build. Today, Nina renews this self-affirmation through art therapy.
A self-directed artist who has been drawing for as long as they can remember, Nina worked as an illustrator and muralist before earning a degree in community art education. They regularly publish zines and indie cartoons and are currently working on various graphic novels. Nina uses traditional mediums like watercolour as well as digital illustration to explore such themes as queer identity, memory and daily rituals, drawing on their own experience. Recent work includes the Cosmic Daily Diary Comics, which celebrate their life in Montreal in the cozy apartment they share with Larry and their Sphynx cat, Vashti.
Nina has always felt some level of discomfort with the traditional gender roles that were modelled to them from infancy, but didn’t always have the vocabulary to articulate their experience. Thankfully, they have always had art to express their thoughts and feelings, a vital tool that helped them navigate the many years of loneliness and confusion. Their project Am I Gay Enough? helped them come to terms with their non-binary identity. Today, their artistic practice allows them to stay centred and authentic as well as connect with others.
Lucky
Lucky is a compulsive collector with a penchant for quirky objects and kitsch who, over the years, has amassed a choice selection of ET paraphernalia and cool vintage finds. Lucky, who keeps it chill in life, probably forgot to shave today, is always quitting smoking and still hasn’t learned how to drive. Their guilty pleasures include watching old films on VHS, sipping cherry cola and nurturing their miniature shrimps and frogs.
A non-binary trans person, Lucky’s first romantic relationship was with Laurence, whom they’d met in CEGEP. Today, Lucky shares their life with Eliza, a transgender person from Kanehsatà:ke with a passion for skateboarding and music. The two have various musical projects on the go, including the heavy metal group Leash Aggression and Eliza’s new band, Kahero:ton. Both personally and professionally, Lucky is an impassioned advocate of LGBTQ+ rights, working in harm reduction and helping to coordinate support, prevention and sexual health education services in the fight against HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C.
For Lucky, being non-binary is above all a way of relating to the world. It means refusing to understand any identity as static or one-dimensional and rejecting the idea that anyone can or should be quickly or easily understood. Instead, it suggests that growth, change and constant states of flux are not only rewarding, but incredibly vital aspects of being in relationship with absolutely anyone or anything. It requires constantly being open to finding new meaning and new places of belonging in systems that are inherently complex.