Queen Sen Sen
Non-binary,
They/them, he/him, Sen.
Sen Mendez also known as Queen Sen Sen is a non-binary fat artist born and raised in Oakland, California. Sen honors the ways art can be used to teach Oakland youth, LGBTQIA, undocumented, Black and Indigenous community members how to use their voice with visual storytelling. Queen Sen Sen creates images of historical ancestors, celebrations of large bodies and visual storytelling as a way to dismantle systematic oppression among Indigenous, Black, Fat, Disabled and Transgender bodies. Queen Sen Sen built their own art business sharing their journey using relief printing as a form of therapy to cope with CPTSD and Depression.
Artwork
“Ms. Edge & Neve Be” by Queen Sen Sen
Set of two pieces, unframed.
Each 12 x 12 inch (h x w)
Mixed Media on Wood
Artist Statement:
Neve Be (They/Them)
In this piece, I create a portrait of Neve sitting in their mobile chair.
Neve is an Indigenous Black Disabled NB Femme ENCHANTREXX, Terpsichorean, Pina Bausch Fellow, Africanist Abolitionist Anarchist Ho who is a dancer and sex worker with long brown hair and a face tattoo between their eyebrows. Neve Be is wearing a gold glitter one piece bodysuit, gold sunglasses and gold and pink boots. Neve is sitting on a purple and gold mobile chair and their gold handbag is to the left of them. Neve Be is holding a medicinal cigarette on one hand and resting their other hand on their lap. Neve Be is surrounded by a quote that says, “Our lives matter no matter what we’ve done or what we are going to do.”
You can follow Neve Be on Instagram @nevebebad and their website nevebebad.com
Beyond Our Bodies was curated to display portraits of Black Disabled Nonbinary or Trans community members who are often targeted by their own existence. Beyond Our Bodies means that our bodies do not solely define who we are as members of this universe. Often we are artists, musicians, dancers and magick. We are more than our bodies, we are multidimensional in every way possible.
Ms. Edge (She/Her)
In this piece, I create a portrait of Ms. Edge standing. Ms. Edge is a Black Trans Woman DJ, Performer, Filmmaker and Producer who has her hair in thick braids wearing purple two piece, waist beads with gold and purple boots. One of her hands in at her side holding a machete to represent the resilience of her ancestors who continued to exist, attached to the machete is a purple cloth. Her other hand is behind her head. Around Ms. Edge is a quote she said, “I was no longer a butch queen, I was the Queen herself.”
You can follow Ms. Edge on Instagram and Spotify through @therealedgeslayer. You can also use this link to follow her: https://instabio.cc/201286CflyH
Beyond Our Bodies was curated to display portraits of Black Disabled Nonbinary or Trans community members who are often targeted by their own existence. Beyond Our Bodies means that our bodies do not solely define who we are as members of this universe. Often we are artists, musicians, dancers and magick. We are more than our bodies, we are multidimensional in every way possible.
Tip the Artist
Venmo: @SwtPMendez
Purchase the Art
$700.00
1 in stock
Free delivery inside the contenental US for art purchases. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that Gender Unbound is volunteer-run, we are not offering expidited shipping and are estimating 2-3 weeks for the art to arrive. Please keep this in mind when purchasing.
All tips go directly to the artist. Proceeds from art sales go to Gender Unbound. Please support your favorite trans and intersex creators by tipping them. By purchasing art, you are supporting Gender Unbound, a nonprofit project, and our mission to uplift, support, and advocate for transgender and intersex communities through arts and programming created by transgender and intersex people.
All of the art in this showcase was commissioned and is currently owned by Gender Unbound. Artists were paid for the creation of their work by Gender Unbound and were able to name their own price for the commission of their work within a price range. Purchasing work from this show does NOT transfer any copyrights or reproduction rights to the customer. The artist retains all copyrights to their work and reserves the right to reproduce and sell coppies of their work if they see fit.