狗东西结和劳工结

Son-of-a-Bitch Knot and Labor Knot

2024, cord, jade, steel. Photography by Teddy McDonald.

This project is a collaboration between myself and my two chosen brothers— we all met when we were 18, and over the past 7 years we have supported each other through our transitions. We helped each other do our T shots, and supported each other as we recovered from top surgery. Since we first met, transgender visibility has increased: now there are transgender actors, celebrities, and politicians, and more and more people know what top surgery scars are.

However, with the increased visibility of transgender people has not actually correlated with better treatment for transgender people. There are hundreds of anti-transgender bills in the United States, and hate crimes are increasing.

I made these harnesses with the intention of protection. The knot that I used, the 盘账结，is a holy symbol that is hung on the walls of homes, restaurants and temples to protect them from bad intentions and evil spirits. I used jade, which is worn to protect the wearer from harm. Both of these items are in use in these harnesses, which simultaneously expose our top surgery scars while also protecting us with spiritual symbols.

As seen in:

Comfi.space, an art show at the Fishbowl curated by Ashley Wang, Seattle