Mary is a self-portrait rooted in lived queer experience. It pulls from different references – music, identity and iconography.

Adornment sits at the centre of the piece. It’s both expression and armour  -a way of being seen, while still holding something back. There’s a tension between joy and defiance running through it, with Mary asserting queer presence as something active, resilient and unapologetically lived in the now.

Please note: the main image shown is an unembellished scan of the artwork, used because it captures the detail, colour and overall finish more accurately than a photograph. The final piece includes hand-applied embellishments, which can be seen in the additional images.