Seen and Missed
This work speaks to the lived experience of being trans and non-binary — of growing up and moving through a world that too often responds with stares, laughter, judgment, humiliation, and attempts at “correction.” These reactions are not isolated moments; they accumulate, trying to impose shame on who we are.
The sculpture captures the essence of these encounters: an angry eye and a disgusted mouth, frozen in expression. Behind them, a one-way mirror reveals a distorted reflection of anyone who stands before it. This distortion mirrors how society twists and misreads our identities, reflecting not who we are, but how prejudice seeks to define us.
Yet even when stretched, twisted, or misunderstood,
the truth remains: we are simply human. Different in
appearance, different in identity, but never deserving of shame. This work asks: when you confront your own image in distortion, can you also find the courage to see others — and yourself — with clarity and compassion?
On the evening of June 27, 2021, I did an experimental performance art on New York's street, right after the Pride Parade. Sitting in front of a piece of white cloth, tied in a straitjacket, I had become a "psychopath' who was sent to the hospital for conversion therapy. On my body were the restraint belts with abusive words that LGBT+ group have been cursed from the past to the present. I intended to play the role of people who have been forced to receive the treatment and locked themselves in the closet because of pressures, desperation for others to reach out, untying the restraint belts.
In the four-hour experiment, only 7 people chose to come forward, untied the restraints and used a rainbow-colored pen to write what their replies to these curses. A small group of people chose to watch and take pictures. Most people chose to walk away. Some people even questioned whether this experiment is about homophobia without coming forward and finding out. All those things seem to prove that the "dark age" has not really gone away.
At the end of this experiment, I broke loose from the restraint belts, tore myself free and wrote LOVE YOURSEL. BE YOURSEL on the white cloth behind me. This experiment is to experience the persecution and discrimination that pioneers have been experiencing, to salute the pioneers for their courage to fight for themselves and to thank them for creating a better social environment for us. However, at the same time, I also want to remind those lucky LGBT+ people that there are still too many people living in the shadows, and there are still too many people are suffering from the prejudice in society. While we are trying to "rescue” ourselves, please also try to do what we can for those in difficulties.
*视频内容仅代表个人观点，不代表任何国家与地区文化。
* The video content only represents personal opinions and is not the opinion of any country or regional culture.
