Joaquin Garcia Peraza

Non-Binary Flor de Izote, 2021. Digital Photographs. 18.5” x 13.3”.

Non-Binary Flor de Izote is a photography series about the artist accepting his femininity as a non-binary person and also accepting his culture as a Salvadoran person. In this work, he is exploring the intersections of both these identities, and grappling with the transphobia in his Salvadoran family yet trying to understand it is rooted in colonialism and white supremacy. In this work, the artist made a white lace glove as a symbol of his femininity, as growing up his mother would make lace clothes for him and sisters, so lace reminds him of that. The glove is made out of a collection of fabrics his mother donated to him, that she has used to make clothes over the years. In the background, there is a linocut print of an open flor de izote, which is the national flower of El Salvador. It is printed in blue and white, the colors of the Salvadoran flag, not so much as a celebration of nationality but as declaring Salvadoran heritage while being cautious of declaring rigid borders and nation-states as the answer. There are other markers of Salvadoran heritage like the different props the artist has that change with each photo. As far as accepting his femininity as a non-binary person, the artist used colors to denote that, as everything in the frame that is not white is blue which is usually masculine so as the series progresses the frame becomes more pink. The pink blooms like a flower, to show the growth of the artist and his acceptance.