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Campus chaplain: Pieces ‘affirm the sacredness of our identities in their full intersectional expression’

Elon University’s Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life currently is hosting paintings by artist Rae Senarighi, a self-described “not your average non-binary cancer survivor” who “inspir[es] self-compassion, activism & gender resilience.”

According to Today at Elon, Senarighi’s works, on loan to the university for four years, “celebrate” trans and nonbinary people of color “through vibrant and affirming portraiture.”

The featured pieces on display include “Aodhán,” a “two-spirit trans man deeply connected to his Scottish and Native American heritage,” and “Ceraun,” a “multimedia artist and philosopher” whose image “serves as a profound exploration of identity and meaning.”

Elon Chaplain Kristin Boswell said Senarighi’s pieces “affirm the sacredness of our identities in their full intersectional expression” and “invite reflection on how authenticity and visibility foster belonging and liberation.”

Gender & LGBTQIA Center Director Luis Garay added that the “incredibly beautiful and breathtaking” artwork is important in “honor[ing] people’s multiple and intersecting identities including gender identity, sexual orientation, and religious/spiritual identity.”

Truitt Center officials noted the portraits “underscore a commitment to the recognition and celebration of diverse religious and spiritual identities.”

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From the story:

Senarighi’s Transcend Series was born out of a profound realization—he had never seen someone who looked like him in a museum portrait gallery. Determined to change that, Senarighi began creating vibrant, large-scale paintings of trans and nonbinary individuals, capturing not just their likeness but their spirit.

“In my experience as a cancer survivor, I have become starkly aware of life’s fragility and its equal preciousness,” said Senarighi [pictured]. “When I paint, I let go of judgment and cynicism and tap into what I believe is my true essence—my soul.” …

“My hope is that people walk away from viewing these portraits with a shared understanding that trans folks are just people,” he explained. “We have been used as a political tool of division in national politics for many years, and it’s harmful and painful to see happening. I hope that when people look into the faces of my portraits, they see themselves reflected too—that any preconditioned prejudice or ignorance is interrupted and that some softness, empathy, and understanding come through instead.”

According to Senarighi’s personal website, the artist says the transgender community’s “very existence is a radical act of love.”

Senarighi’s Facebook page includes numerous memes of advice about the community, such as no jokes should be made about it: “Jokes made at the expense of marginalized people in a system of oppression contribute to violence.” Another states “the fight against transphobia” is a fight “against Eurocolonial structures, white supremacy, and the patriarchy.

Yet another meme, titled “Degender Everything,” says “menstrual products are not ‘feminine'”:

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IMAGE CAPTION & CREDIT: Artist Rae Senarighi stands in front of several of pro-trans images; Rae Senarighi/Facebook. INTERIOR IMAGE: Rae Senarighi/Facebook

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