Trans Passions Project

To see all sculptures and listen to the interviews, click here

Trans Passions is a project where Jai Sallay-Carrington, a Canadian trans-non-binary ceramic artist, sculpted transgender people as their passions in life. The intention is to showcase trans joy, as often trans bodies are only represented within the discourse of only being trans. While transitioning is an important aspect of being trans, the goal of this project is to show the passions and lives that trans people hold as being as unique and diverse as each person is.

Each sculpture in this series is based on a transgender individual who the artist has also interviewed. Paired with each sculpture is a recording of that individual speaking about their passions and experiences being trans. The addition of the audio brings each sculpture to life and reminds the viewers that these are representations of actual people living their lives, showing that trans people are everywhere and very much a part of the greater society. The stories that were shared in these interviews were quite moving, it was inspiring to hear everyone speak so openly about their experiences and passions.

Since the goal of this project is to uplift trans individuals and communities, an organization benefiting 2SLGBTQIA people which is local to each exhibition is chosen to be the recipient of the fundraiser portion of this project. The Pin-Making fundraiser brings together community members to make hand-made ceramic pins, which are available at the opening reception by a donation to the chosen organization, they recieve 100% of those proceeds, plus a percentage of each sale of these sculptures. In Baltimore, MD, USA it was Baltimore Safe Haven, and in Vancouver, BC, Canada, it is UNYA (Urban Native Youth Association).

Jai has so far sculpted and interviewed 20 trans models for this project, to have a diverse representation of transgender experiences within Canada and the USA. The significance of community has been clear through this project, as many of the people interviewed spoke of how imperative community has been for their growth and safety. It has been such a transformative experience for Jai to connect with and sculpt all of these beautiful transgender people, and they are looking forward to continue growing this series.