Safe Passage
An Exhibition Celebrating Queer and Trans Communities and the Trans Activists Who Paved the Way
Safe Passage is an exhibition currently being built by Jai Sallay-Carrington with the help of their incredible team of trans / two-spirit / gender diverse artists.
The final exhibition will be held at SUM Gallery in June 2027 in Vancouver BC, Toronto in 2028 and more locations TBA.
Funding this project provided by:
Canada Council for the Arts and Community Arts Council of Vancouver
Thank you <3
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Safe Passage is an exhibition currently being built, it consists of ceramic sculptures which celebrates queer and trans* communities across North America, or its original name of Turtle Island. It is important to illuminate the hope and continued resistance of the people whose identities have existed long before colonization, and who will continue existing no matter how hard certain governments try and erase them.
This exhibition is a multifaceted project which will take place over this next year, from June 2026 until June 2027. It includes the making of life-sized ceramic figures, community engaging activities, oral storytelling, and visual representations of the activists who paved the way for us today. It will be on display in Vancouver June 2027 during the Queer Arts Festival, in Toronto summer of 2028 and with more exhibition locations to be announced soon.
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Participation in the community mosaic events will occur in Vancouver BC and open to everyone. Scroll down to learn more, 2SLGBTQ+ and allies are welcome.
The oral storytelling is for trans* people everywhere to share their stories, scroll down to learn more.
Defining “trans:”
There are many identities that fall within the category of trans*, which has been adopted as an umbrella term to encompass the many gender expressions which are not cis-gender. It is important to understand that although this term encompasses many experiences, they are all unique to each person based on the intersectionality of all aspects of identity. Our culture is built on the colonization of stolen land, built by immigrants and which operates on systematic racism, therefore Black, Indigenous and People of Colour who are also trans or Two-Spirit, will have a very different experience than those who are white. We must acknowledge that those who society has pushed down the most are the ones who have had to fight the hardest to be seen and accepted.
You are invited to take part in creating this project!
Scroll down to learn more about the 3 ways to get involved
1) Storytelling: Trans* people located ANYWHERE, send me your stories!
2) Community Mosaic Events: Located in/near Vancouver? EVERYONE is welcome to join in building this project.
3) Donate: Fundraising for Rainbow Railroad, an organization helping queer + trans refugees in need
1) Storytelling
TRANS people from ANYWHERE, send me your stories!!
Do you identify as transgender, non-binary, two-spirit, agender, genderqueer, or any gender identity which falls outside of the cisgendered experience? I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Also if you are a parent of a trans person and you have positive stories to share. These will be played in the gallery during the exhibition.
I am collecting stories of trans* people to be included in this exhibition. Stories of trans love, gender affirmation/euphoria, acceptance, community, hope, chosen families and liberation. They can be silly, heartwarming, tearjerkers, or framed around challenging or hard topics, whatever you choose to share, it’s up to you. Tell me about your support networks, about the reasons you keep fighting, about that friend or loved one who is always there when you need them…all that good stuff!
The world is full of terrible things happening to marginalized people, the strength and resilience that grows from those hardships is part of the reason we have such a strong community. Queer and trans people, especially people of colour, have always had to stand up to oppression, the strength of our communities is what supports those at the forefront of those battles.
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Open a voice note or voice memos app on your phone to record it
Try to be in a quiet space with no background noise, use the best microphone you have access to (some headphones are better quality than just using a phone)
Do a quick test before recording
Hit record! Start with your name (whatever name you want shared, this will be playing in the gallery during the exhibition), your age, general location, and how you identify (gender, race, disability, whatever you want to share), then tell me your stories!
You are welcome to send one or multiple stories as individual voice notes
Once you have recorded the story, click the “share” button and click the email option.
In the subject line of the email, write Safe Passage Audio
Send it to: exhibitions@jscreatures.com
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If sending a voice note is too complicated, lets chat on the phone, and I’ll record that
email me with a few options for times we can chat and I will call you: jai@jscreatures.com
Below are two sample stories. Thank you and I am excited to hear from all of you!
2) Community Mosaic Project
You are invited to make the mosaic pieces for the center piece of this installation!
2SLGBTQ+ and allies are invited to build the mosaic pieces that will symbolize the support and connection of these communities.
Do you want to be a part of it?
All materials supplied, this is a great way to connect with others in your community, lean how to paint underglaze on clay and be a part of a big art exhibition which will be traveling the country!
Want to host a mosaic event in/around Vancouver? email me! jai@jscreatures.com
Scroll down to join my mailing list to be notified when these events are open for sign up! Or follow me on instagram
3) Another option, if you can, is to DONATE!
As I work on this project I will be raising money for two important causes:
Zara X is involved in this project and is in need of some assistance. She is a Black trans woman currently seeking refuge in Vancouver, after fleeing the USA. She is working towards finding stability in her new home as well as helping other black trans refugees.
Rainbow Railroad an organization helping queer and trans refugees in need.
MEET THE TEAM
I have an incredible team of talented artists and activists who are all trans/2-spirit/gender diverse! I am honoured to have everyone be a part of this project.
Ceramic Artist/ Assistant: Pedram Penhan (they/them)is a non-binary self taught artist based in Vancouver, BC. Pedram uses clay and ceramics as their medium for self-expression and storytelling specifically through sculptures and figurative art, focusing on intersections between social topics such as gender, sexuality, identity, alterity, systemic oppression and our interconnection with our environment, mainly through the perspective of being a displaced, racialized individual in a colonized country. Pedram has worked with multiple communities and nonprofit organizations across Canada in the past decade and has showcased their work in several group exhibitions. (The most recent one being Kinship @SUM Gallery, curated by Jai Sallay Carrington.)
Pedram currently works as a manager and a community-building consultant at a community pottery studio in Kitsilano, Vancouver.
Ceramic Artist/ Assistant: Danya Gorodetsky (she/her) is an artist and educator specializing in drawing, ceramics, and comics. She currently lives and works in Vancouver on the unceded traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱ wú7mesh, xwməθkwəy̓ əm, and səlilwətaɬ Nations. Danya teaches children and youth ages four to twenty-five a variety of disciplines ranging from ceramics and pottery to comics, illustration, drawing and painting, printmaking and darkroom photography.
Her work has been exhibited internationally at Festival KOMA (Czech Republic) and locally in several group shows. She has been featured at the Contemporary Art Gallery of Vancouver and SUM Gallery for the Queer Arts Festival of Vancouver.
Photographer: Yin Mei (She/Her) (b. 2002, Xi’an, China) is a photo-based mixed-media artist working with photography, digital media, projection mapping, typography, and poetry. Her practice is centered on the exploration of queer Chinese trans identities, trans-fem experiences, and generational trauma in context with the sinophone diaspora. is currently practicing as an emerging artist in the stolen and traditional territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, “Vancouver, BC”
Ceramic Artist/ Assistant: Felix Thomas (they/them) is a trans non-binary ceramicist who specializes in glaze chemistry and sculpture. Drawing on inspiration from Kiki Smith, the writings of Julia Kristeva, and others, they use their art to centre their lived experience as an exploration of queerness, transness, and mental illness.
Medanegha Det'ele Tu Tetlel is an Indigenous, Disabled, Gender variant artist working in Vancouver. They have been in group exhibitions with Kickstart Disability and at Langara College. Their work centers building community with their communities and hopes to create spaces where weekly Disabled art meet ups can happen. They work a lot in ceramics, wood carving and sculptural pieces. They do a lot of work with material practices and love to find new ways of working with materials. They are a fine arts student at Langara College and take classes on wood carving and ceramics regularly outside of their school projects.
Ceramic Artist/ Assistant: Charlie Sandeman (he/they) is a sculptural artist living on the occupied lands of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) First Nations. Working primarily in ceramics while exploring other sculptural mediums, his work explores themes related to trans and queer identity, chronic illness, neurodiversity and belonging. They recently graduated with a diploma in Fine Arts from Langara College.
Audio Technician/ Musician: Kee McEvoy (they/them/she/her)
