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 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 men's fantasies.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas