Deviant, Heavenly
Various aspects of queerness, trans identities and femininity have been treated as mental illness throughout medical history, and many have used diagnoses to silence and traumatize those who have been diagnosed. We glorify the violence and tragedies against these bodies throughout all mediums of storytelling, including sainthood, and yet systematically refuse to help or care for them in the ways that they need. Seeing oneself reflected and glorified in violent and tragic ways can affect how one interacts with their own body, how they present themselves, and how one interacts with the bodies of others. As we continue to tell these stories, we continue to perpetuate the idea that these bodies can only be tokens of tragedy.
Deviant, Heavenly depicts chronically-ill women, trans, and non binary people in the style of Byzantine icons in order to reclaim the space that was once used as a forum for perpetuating violence narratives against these bodies.