"If this is your path, as it is mine, let me offer whatever solace you may find in this monstrous benediction: May you discover the enlivening power of darkness within yourself. May it nourish your rage. May your rage inform your actions, and your actions transform you as you struggle to transform your world." - Susan Stryker.
One's flesh and bones are the essence of the self. When they twist, manipulate and grow, the foundations of who you are change with them. For many Transgender individuals, especially those who fall outside the gender binary, their visible form will never truly reflect the nature of their soul or their authentic being, for they are confined to the limits of the human body. In a world of endless opportunities, if given a chance, many Trans people would choose to transform into a version of themselves that others consider "monstrous" or "grotesque", a common sentiment already held about gender-affirming surgeries.
Beyond the Body - A Liberated Form explores the idea of a Transgender person choosing to undergo a painful transformation to reach a version of themselves that makes them feel truly at peace in their own body. Presented as a form of body horror, this metamorphosis represents a protest against respectability politics, for this individual refuses to make their outward appearance appealing to the masses. The outcome of this transformation is for them and themself only. Including elements such as ghastly wounds and bloodied organs, this liberated form demonstrates the painful extremes a Transgender person may go through to feel comfortable in the body they inhabit.
Stage One: Reinvent focuses on the process of metamorphosis and how the individual struggles to reach inside themself. Displayed is pain and anguish, yet the promise of deliverance keeps them clawing at their chest, as this effort will bring them salvation in the form of a new self.
Stage Two: Resurrect presents the new self in all its glory. Relief and pure bliss are visible as the individual admires what they have become, demonstrating that this was their wish. Heart on display, the whole world will finally see the essence of this being, what they have always known themselves to be.
The white, minimalistic background of the series of images allows the form of the Transgender person to be the primary focus. A viewer's attention cannot be placed elsewhere, as it is intended for them to experience this transformation in its unmitigated form. Beyond the Body - A Liberated Form is designed and photographed by a Gender Non-conforming Trans person and, as such, showcases personal emotions surrounding the confinement of the human body. This genuine exploration of changing the foundations of the self using body horror creates an impactful narrative that encourages others to understand the Transgender experience.