Salgu Wissmath

EXHIBIT ANNOUNCEMENT: Excited to share that my project “Divine Identity” is currently on exhibit at the @photoville Festival in New York City throughout the rest of June and potentially thru mid-September. 📣 WHAT: “Divine Identity” outdoor exhibit at Photoville 📍 WHERE: Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground 17 Horatio St, New York, NY 10014 📅 WHEN: June 7 thru mid-September The main Photoville location at @brooklynbridgepark is on view through this weekend, June 22, 2025. But my exhibit, which is in Manhattan, has the potential to stay up through mid-September, although the exact end date is not set in stone. 🏳️‍🌈 Inspired by other artists’ images of modern day saints and references to traditional religious iconography, “Divine Identity” celebrates the sacredness of queer folks of faith by transforming their portraits into icons. @salguwissmath is a nonbinary photographer based in San Antonio, Texas. 🏳️‍🌈 🔗 Link in bio for more info on “Divine Identity.” Also, if you are interested in buying a print, 8"x12" photo prints are available online for $50 each. 10% of proceeds from print sales will be donated to @thriveyouthcenter , an LGBTQ+ nonprofit providing housing support to unhoused LGBTQ+ youth in Texas. 🏳️‍🌈 SPECIAL THANKS TO: -@photoville for selecting my work and making the exhibit happen -@theIWMF Lauren Brown Fellowship for supporting this reporting -Skyler Reid (@skyreid ) for encouraging me to submit my project -Jo E. Norris (@josephineishere ) for taking some exhibit photos -And all the participants for sharing their stories -Plus the Marquee Partners: @brooklynbridgepark , @nycparks , @leicacamerausa , @nyculture , @photowings , @nyscouncilonthearts , @madein_ny , @twotreesny , and @dumbo_brooklyn #photography #exhibition #PhotoExhibit #publicart #PhotovilleNYC #DivineIdentity #PhotovilleFestival #Photoville2025 #QueerPeopleOfFaith #LGBTQ+ #LGBT #Queer #PrideMonth

Inspired by other artists’ images of modern day saints and references to traditional religious iconography, “Divine Identity” celebrates the sacredness of queer folks of faith by transforming their portraits into icons. Featuring: Salgu Wissmath, “Divine Identity” 📸 Salgu Wissmath (@salguwissmath ) ⁠ 🔗 Link in bio to preview more of “Divine Identity”, as well as all the 80+ public #Photoville2025 exhibits going up throughout NYC this summer!⁠ ____⁠ 📍 Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground ▪️ Presented by Photoville ____⁠  📅 June 7 – 22, 2025 📣 Opening Weekend June 7 and 8, 2025 in @brooklynbridgepark 📍 80+ exhibitions across all 5 boroughs + IRL & online public programming ✨ Link in bio to learn more! Thanks to the Marquee Partners: @brooklynbridgepark , @nycparks , @leicacamerausa , @nyculture , @photowings , @nyscouncilonthearts , @madein_ny , @twotreesny , and @dumbo_brooklyn . #PhotovilleFestival #Photoville2025 #PhotovilleNYC

Trans and gender non-conforming people deserve to be seen in their full humanity. That’s what makes the work of our Freedomways Reporting Fellow, Salgu @salguwissmath , so important! 📸 Salgu (they/them) is a nonbinary Korean American documentary photographer based in Texas. Their photo essays and videos explore the intersections of mental health, queer identity, and faith from a conceptual documentary approach. They specialize in documenting the LGBTQIA+ community from a decolonialized lens. They were a 2022-2024 Hearst Photo Fellow at the San Antonio Express-News and San Francisco Chronicle, and their work has been published in the New York Times, NPR, Wall Street Journal, Texas Tribune, and San Antonio Magazine, among others. They were recognized as AAJA’s 2022 Emerging Journalist of the Year and received the 2023 Curve Award for Emerging Journalists. [Image description: Photo of a person with short, dark brown hair and reddish-brown rectangular glasses smiling warmly at the camera, wearing a light gray denim button-up shirt. They are photographed against a soft gray studio background.]

Happy Birthday to @salguwissmath Oh what a year—it’s been such an honor walking alongside you while you captured Color Splash Out and my whole journey. You really didn’t just take photos…you told stories, you caught moments, you made magic happen behind that lens. And let’s be real—you’re not just an amazing photographer, you’re a great individual with heart and passion for community & queer realness. Solid corazón, good vibes, all day. Salgu on behalf of our @colorsplashout team and younglings we wish you the best birthday ever, lleno de alegría, laughter, and maybe a little cake and ice cream. Keep shining, keep creating, and don’t ever stop doing your thing. Your fans, siempre

SUNDAY 3/29: Join me for the Closing Reception of my photo exhibit TODAY at the First UU Church of San Antonio! With a Trans Day of Visibility Interfaith Service 11am-12pm. Followed by a Closing Reception 12pm-2pm. Hope to see you there!  — 📸@brendabazan   📅 Sunday, March 29, 2026, 11AM - 2PM 📍First UU Church of San Antonio, 7150 I-10, San Antonio, TX 🔗 Link in Bio for More Info: bit.ly/ittakesfaith ▪️This project was made possible by @getcreativesa and reporting supported by @theiwmf Lauren Brown Fellowship —

TDOV CLOSING RECEPTION: This Sunday, March 29, 2026 from 11AM-2 PM at First Unitarian Universalist Church (@firstuuchurch ) in San Antonio, Texas. Celebrate Trans Day of Visibility and meet Rev. Yadi. They will lead an Trans Day of Visibility interfaith service from 11am-12pm, followed by a Closing Reception from 12pm-2pm. All are welcome! 🏳️‍⚧️ “It Takes Faith: Rev. Yadi’s Ministry” is a photo exhibit documenting the life of nonbinary pastor Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna (@cre8tivepastor ), and their ministry of running a summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth in Texas. This free exhibit is supported by the City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture Artist Grant and on view through April 5. 🏳️‍⚧️ You can also view the show March 1- April 5 during exhibit hours: Sundays 10:30am-2pm, open. Monday-Thursday 10am-3pm, by appointment. (Call ahead at 210-344-4695 ext 1) —— 📸 @salguwissmath 📅 Sunday, March 29, 2026, 11AM - 2PM 📍First UU Church of San Antonio, 7150 I-10, San Antonio, TX 🔗 Link in Bio for More Info: bit.ly/ittakesfaith ▪️This project was made possible by @getcreativesa and reporting supported by @theiwmf Lauren Brown Fellowship —— #ItTakesFaith #QueerArt #QueerPhotography #QueerPhotographer #QueerArtist #QueerSpirituality #FaithfullyLGBT #PhotoExhibit #SanAntonio #SanAntonioArt #SATX #GetCreativeSA

SHOW OPENING: Excited to share that my photo exhibit “It Takes Faith: Rev. Yadi’s Ministry” will open this Sunday, March 8, 2026 from 12-3 PM at First Unitarian Universalist Church (@firstuuchurch ) in San Antonio, Texas. Hope to see you there! 🏳️‍⚧️ “It Takes Faith: Rev. Yadi’s Ministry” is a photo exhibit documenting the life of nonbinary pastor Rev. Yadi Martínez-Reyna (@cre8tivepastor ), and their ministry of running a summer camp for LGBTQ+ youth in Texas. This free exhibit is supported by the City of San Antonio Department of Arts & Culture Artist Grant and on view through April 5. Stop by this weekend to meet the artist Salgu Wissmath and enjoy light refreshments. 🏳️‍⚧️ You can also view the show at the March 29 Closing Reception and March 1- April 5 during exhibit hours: Sundays 10:30am-2pm, open. Monday-Thursday 10am-3pm, by appointment. (Call ahead at 210-344-4695 ext 1) —— 📸 @salguwissmath 📅 Sunday, March 8, 2026, 12PM - 3PM 📍First UU Church of San Antonio, 7150 I-10, San Antonio, TX 🔗 Link in Bio for More Info: bit.ly/ittakesfaith ▪️This project was made possible by @getcreativesa and reporting supported by @theiwmf Lauren Brown Fellowship —— SPECIAL THANKS TO: -@cre8tivepastor for sharing their story -@starving_ftw_artist for graphic design -@josephineishere + @sarahblesener for photo editing support -@gb_boring for art installation -@digitalprolab for the prints -@firstuuchurch for hosting the exhibit -@getcreativesa + @theiwmf for funding support #ItTakesFaith #QueerArt #QueerPhotography #QueerPhotographer #QueerArtist #QueerSpirituality #FaithfullyLGBT #PhotoExhibit #SanAntonio #SanAntonioArt #SATX #GetCreativeSA

I got to screen my short film “Chosen Family” about @whaackart and the @bayareaderby roller derby team last year at the @sftransfilmfest ! It was really special to see my photo on the cover of the program, and a big turnout from the team at the screening! I won’t be in this year’s festival, but if you are in the Bay Area, definitely check it out later this month! 🎬Check out this year’s festival to see an eclectic mix of films made by and for trans and gender non-conforming folks: documentaries, dramas, comedies, animations, and more! 📅🔥The 28th Annual SF Trans Film Festival is coming soon! 📍 Nov 13–15, 2025 at the Roxie Theater, SF @roxie_theater 💻 Nov 16–23, 2025 online at Eventive ACCESS: 🤟ASL at all screenings 💜 All films are captioned 😷KN95 masks are required and provided ♿️Wheelchair accessible 🚾 All gender bathrooms Mark your calendars, tell your friends, and get ready for an unforgettable celebration of trans brilliance on screen! ✨ 🎟️Visit for tickets, sliding scale $0-$50. Image Description: Grunge-style poster with a black background. A hand makes a rock-and-roll gesture, with bold red and white text reading “SF Trans Film Fest.” Spotlights shine across the words. Text lists dates: “Nov 13–15 Roxie Theater, SF Nov 16–23 Online” and “Experimental, Documentary, Narrative, Animation, Music Videos.” Symbols for wheelchair access, ASL, and KN95 masks.

Got to photograph the cover of the September/ October issue of the @sanantoniomag and a majority of images for the special Faces of San Antonio ad section for the inside! A big thanks to @jennifermcinnisfadel and @jmaxinepittman for the call and the trust! Super cool to see it all in print! It’s out on news stands now if you want to pick up your copy in San Antonio. #FacesofSanAntonio #SanAntonioMagazine #SanAntonioPhotographer

Living queer saints walk among us, people who have led and are leading the path to queer and trans liberation in an increasingly inhospitable world. Like martyred saints throughout the history of the Catholic Church, queer and trans people are often the targets of violence and outright murder--killed for who they are and how they show up in the world. This is a critical piece of nonbinary Korean American photographer Salgu Wissmath’s new exhibition Divine Identity displayed along the fence at Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground in New York City. Building on artist Gabriel García Román’s tradition of depicting queer and trans people as saints in his Queer Icons series, as well as Kelly Latimore’s and Jason Tseing’s practice of creating saint portraits of key LGBTQ+ figures like Marsha P. Johnson in Latimore’s Icon series and St. Daniel Aston in Tseing’s Queer Saints project, Wissmath visualizes the sacredness of queer people of faith as devotional portraits. Like Frances Marshall’s Queer Religion exhibition depicting queer people of faith in their places of worship, some of Wissmath’s portraits take place in houses of worship but others are distinguished only by their monochromatic backgrounds, stark against the colorful halos around their heads. Wissmath’s photography is a practice of meditative looking and reverence for the queer and trans people that chose to remain in spaces of faith, despite (these spaces) histories of physical, spiritual, and emotional violence, knowing that queer and trans children will continue to be born into families of faith and that spiritual meaning may be important and should be accessible to all. After the exhibition opened, I sat down with Wissmath to discuss the inspirations and impacts of the photographic portraits in a New York public park. Read the interview at: /articles/their-new-exhibition-divine-identity/7199. Meet The Artist Salgu Wissmath, the photographer behind "Divine Identity," this Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 2-4 PM at Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground in the West Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. RSVP recommended. Photo credits in comment.

Come Meet The Artist Salgu Wissmath, the photographer behind “Divine Identity,” this Saturday, August 23, 2025 from 2-4 PM at Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground in the West Village neighborhood of Lower Manhattan, New York City. “Divine Identity” celebrates the sacredness of queer folks of faith by transforming their portraits into icons. This free outdoor exhibit is part of the 2025 Photoville Festival and on view through mid-September. Stop by this weekend for this casual gathering with the artist and check it out! RSVP is not required to attend. Come on by! NOTE: This is an outdoor event. 📸 Salgu Wissmath (@salguwissmath ) —— 📅 Saturday, August 23, 2025, 2PM - 4PM 📍Seravalli Playground,17 Horatio St, Manhattan, NY 🔗 Link in Bio to RSVP + More Info: divineidentityphotoville.eventbrite.com ▪️Presented by @Photoville and reporting supported by @theiwmf Lauren Brown Fellowship —— #PhotovilleFestival #Photoville2025 #PhotovilleNYC #DivineIdentity #QueerArt #QueerPhotography #QueerPhotographer #QueerArtist #QueerSpirituality #QueerPeopleofFaith #FaithfullyLGBT #PhotoExhibit #PublicArt #NYC #NYCArt

Check out photographer Salgu Wissmath photo essay with excerpts from their Divine Identities photo series which is being exhibited at Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground in New York City during the @PhotovilleNYC Festival 2025! Inspired by other artists’ images of modern day saints and references to traditional religious iconography, “Divine Identity” celebrates the sacredness of queer folks of faith by transforming their portraits into icons. Link in bio ✨ Learn more: https://photoville.nyc/exhibition/divine-identity/ Marquee Partners include: @brooklynbridgepark , @nycparks , @leicacamerausa , @nyculture , @photowings , @nyscouncilonthearts , @madein_ny , @twotreesny , and @dumbo_brooklyn