Fetishized

Artist Statement: Fetishized

In my work, I explore the complex and often harmful dynamics surrounding the fetishization of trans women, particularly by cisgender men. This obsession with trans bodies, framed through a lens of desire and objectification, perpetuates reductive and dehumanizing stereotypes. It reduces trans women to mere symbols of sexual novelty rather than celebrating their humanity, individuality, and identities.

The fascination with trans women’s bodies often arises from a place of exotification—an assumption that their bodies are something to be consumed, displayed, and appropriated without understanding the lived experiences behind them. This fetishization strips away the agency of trans women, making their bodies a site of consumption rather than of expression or autonomy. It is not about seeing them as real, whole people, but about how their bodies can serve as a tool for cisgender men's fantasies.

Through my painting, I seek to unravel the cultural narratives that fuel this obsession, examining how mainstream media, social media, and subcultures feed into the commodification of trans women’s bodies. I attempt to challenge viewers to reconsider their assumptions and question the boundaries between desire, respect, and objectification. My work asks whether we can move beyond the fetish and create space for trans women to be seen as multidimensional beings, free from the confines of an objectified, sexualized identity.

By confronting these harmful dynamics through art, I hope to shift the conversation toward greater empathy, understanding, and advocacy for the dignity of trans women—asking not only for their bodies to be respected, but for their lives, stories, and identities to be recognized in their fullness.