Trading Cards is the Editorial Tackling the Construction of Identity

“In my Trading Cards series, I embody five made-up characters: (1) Amber Vaughn, a west coast diva from the early aughts; (2) Antonio Tex, a troubled boxer; (3) an extraterrestrial party-alien; (4) Elle Jones, a warehouse rave regular; and (5) Joey Belvedere, an eighties Blitz Kid.

I treated each character as a sort of challenge to see how far I could manipulate and transform my likeness, utilizing knick-knacks, accessories, and garments I've amassed over the years to do so. By toying with the malleability of my appearance + the notion of art as commodity, Trading Cards playfully questions tropes and stereotypes. This is particularly evident in the card for my alien character, who represents the orientalized treatment AAPI bodies receive and are often read through in media and IRL. I want viewers to be forced to confront this abstracted image of the "other" that is, at once, alienated and exoticized. Similarly, I explore ultra-femininity through Amber, hypermasculinity through Antonio, as well as the erotic and queer undertones that emerge as a result of these extremes. Ultimately, through Trading Cards, I ask viewers the following question: How do you construct identity?”

Photography: Skyli Alvarez