Local artist Emily Smith Satis is using her talents as a painter to explore the transgender community in her exhibition “In Visible Skin: Portraits of Transgender Philadelphia,” May 10-June 28 at the William Way LGBT Community Center.
Satis said she was inspired to undertake the series of watercolor portraits when, in 2011, she became “unsettled” about her own lack of knowledge of the transgender community.
“I approached it as a young gay woman that understood and is proud of our gay community here in Philly,” Satis said. “But I felt really ignorant that I didn’t feel connected to the trans community. I just didn’t know any trans people. I felt sort of ashamed and embarrassed a little bit because I didn’t understand the feelings and the motivations of that community. I approached the project as teaching in an organic way by meeting people and starting conversations and saying, ‘Teach me, tell me what it’s like to be trans and use me as a platform to have a voice.’ I think that that name, ‘In Visible Skin,’ is a play of course, taking someone who feels invisible and saying, ‘Yes, you are visible.’ I was more in the background. I was much more allowing the presence of these amazing individuals to shine. I was taking my opinion out of it and just saying this is what I’ve learned. I was saying, ‘I don’t know anything, teach me.’”
Compared to previous paintings, Satis said “In Visible Skin” is less about her personal experiences and more about the world in which she lives.
“This is a two-year project so it is a little bit bigger,” Satis said comparing this exhibition to previous ones. “My work previously was very self-involved. That makes it seem more negative, but it was more focused on my life and people around me and my own mental and physical relationship with the world. That’s why I started this project: because I wanted to turn the focus away from myself and look at those around me. It definitely worked in a way. I will go back to working that way. It wasn’t a bad thing. I just think my work previously was self-involved.”
In the years it took to complete the exhibition, Satis educated herself by initiating discussions on gender variance with trans folks and, in the process, learned much more than she had anticipated.
“I met really amazing people,” she said. “I became friends with all of these people and felt really inspired. You can understand it must be a difficult life to struggle with your gender identity. But there are so many different amazing things that I learned just about the day-to-day life of a transgender individual. I think I was more touched by each person’s individual personality. That is what affected me the most, this fearless spirit that just has to stand up constantly, every single day, to oppression and discrimination. That’s what floored me emotionally. I felt I could be more aloof in the process but I became so connected and feel like such a fierce ally now. Besides, there are little fact-based things. I understand testosterone and hormone therapy. Also, it made me connect with my own idea of gender and identity and why gender is important to society. I‘m questioning that a little bit more.”
Watercolors may not seem like the most thought-provoking of the visual arts but, in Satis’ capable hands, the art form becomes more than the pedestrian images some might expect.
“This is definitely my preferred form of painting,” she said. “I handle watercolors in a way that I think a lot of people aren’t accustomed to. I don’t paint grandma paintings. I paint some badass watercolors. I think it’s refreshing for people to see the medium used in a different way.”
Satis said the exhibit is meant to be informative, giving insights into the lives of the subjects.
But she added, it is in no way confrontational or preachy.
“I hope the viewers will understand the subtlety of the show. I wasn’t trying to smack someone in the face with ‘We’re here! We’re trans!’” she said. “I was trying to point out the normalcy of being a trans person. The show is not supposed to be intensely confrontational. It’s supposed to start this conversation and invite people in and make it more comfortable to say, ‘This is a topic that I’ve always wanted to talk about’ or ‘I don’t understand pronouns.’ It’s putting an everyday face to the trans community, as opposed to having sex workers in the back of the City Paper. These people are everyday people. They need us to try to understand a little bit more. Especially with the gay community too, it’s about taking it from the perspective of a gay person and saying the stereotypes that we collectively as gay people still generate. It’s not just mainstream society. It’s also within our culture, which is supposed to be so open and welcoming. It’s also getting gay people to talk about gender and identity and why it’s important to us.”
Now that she’s incorporated a community-oriented message into her work, Satis said she feels inspired to take a similar direction with future works, as well as incorporate her own interpretations.
“I’d like to,“ said she about doing more work to draw attention to overlooked communities. “I have a couple of ideas. I’m moving to North Carolina, which of course just outlawed gay marriage. I’m wondering if I could do portraits of gay couples who feel married and have been together for an extended period of time. I’m also thinking of doing portraits of sex workers. I’d like to still work with communities, but I’d also like to go back and do my own personal paintings as well.”
“In Visible Skin: Portraits of Transgender Philadelphia” opens May 10, with a reception from 6-9 p.m. at the William Way LGBT Community Center, 1315 Spruce St. The exhibition will be on view at the center through June 28. For more information, visit www.esmithsatis.com.