La China. Placetas, Cuba. 2017. by Alexis Ruiseco-Lombera

Throughout history, queer people have transcended biological and social norms to redefine family. Too often discarded by our own kinfolk, we seek refuge in the comfort of our peers. Referred to as ‘chosen families,’ these bonds reinvent roles of support, teaching, and kinship- consequently reshaping definitions of parenting, marriage, and relationships for queer and non-queer people alike.

CHOSEN aims to depict the love, tenderness, strength, and sincerity provided by chosen families, while celebrating the queer community’s progress toward dismantling constrictive heteronormative standards and broadening the definition of family for society at large.

This self-portrait forms a part of a series of photographs that trace the precariousness and vitality of trans and queer people in Cuba. Investigating the lines and courses that weave and connect within trans and queer life, this image provides a model of possibility for resistance, care, and the ways queer people have chosen their own family. Creating worlds to come, signals that rewrite the history of Cubanidad; a nuance that includes the future of the queer body in the nation's body and their collective imagery.

25% of the proceeds will go to the Leslie Lohman Museum - the only dedicated LGBTQ art museum in the world with a mission to exhibit and preserve LGBTQ art and foster the artists who create it.

Size: 10" x 8", 20" x 16", 30" x 24"

Medium: Hahnemuele Photo Rag: a heavy, museum-quality paper with a matte, textured surface

Framing: Unframed, Black, or White (Custom framing options available. Email help@trnk-nyc.com for more info.)

Framed Mat Style: 2 inch float over white mat (art appears to float over the mat and a spacer prevents the image from touching the acrylic)

Edition Size: 100, 20, or 10 (depending on the size)

Year of Original: 2017

Authentication: Certificate of Authenticity signed by the Founder of TRNK.

Print Dimensions: Variable

Frame Width: 1"

Frame Depth: 2 1/4"

Matte Size: 2"

Paper Type: Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308

Frame: Wood & 99% UV Acrylic

Framed Matting Style: Foam Lift

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