'Alpha Male' Poster Print by Guanyu Xu

TRNK Editions presents MIEN - a cross-section of queer artists of color who leverage portraiture photography to explore identity beyond visibility. 100% of proceeds will be donated to The Ali Forney Center.

Rather than presenting queerness as a cultural homology, these images take authorship over individual lived experience while acknowledging contributions to a representative body politic. Expressly, by bringing these diverse works in conversation with one another, this show makes legible the inherent tension between community and self.

Each work is presented as a limited-edition, 20"x30" poster ($75 Unframed, $250 Framed). 100% of proceeds from the sale will be donated to the Ali Forney Center to combat LGBTQ youth homelessness in NYC.

This work, titled 'Alpha Male' by Chicago-based artist Guanyu Xu, is part of a larger body of work called 'One Land to Another.' The series interrogates issues of homophobia, racism, misogyny, xenophobia, and political ideology.

"I was born and raised in a conservative family in Beijing. The prevailing cultural norms necessitated that my sexuality remain hidden. It was not until my arrival to the the United States in the spring of 2014 that I could finally have courage to reveal this secret. The suppression of my identity and the viewing of American films planted an ‘American dream’ in my head during my teenage years. However, I have now come to realize that this perception was not entirely accurate. Due to the history of anti-Chinese sentiments, problematic stereotypes of Asians and the dominance of white, macho gay, I became an “undesirable alien” in this “land of freedom”...I offer my queerness, displacement, anxiety and longing for utopia to destabilize the traditional norms in terms of race, sexuality and ideology." - Guanyu Xu

Guanyu Xu's photographic interventions offer an exploration of his complex personal history and identity. His work bridges the gap between the personal and political, highlighting the disparities and connections between the two nations, in which his intersectional experience of the US meets his conservative familial experience of China. His works have been exhibited globally, including the Aperture Foundation and ICP Museum and can be found in public collections including The Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His works have been featured in numerous publications including The New York Times, ArtAsiaPacific, The New Yorker, W Magazine, and Harper's Magazine.

Size: 20" x 30"

Medium: Photographic Print on Moab Lasal Photo Matte Paper

Framing: Unframed or Matte Black Metal Frame

Edition Size: 150

**Please note, works belonging to the MIEN Poster series are not accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity.