A Trans Man in the Modern Day
Faculty Mentor
Houston Fryer
Presentation Type
Creative Work
Start Date
4-13-2026 4:30 PM
End Date
4-13-2026 6:30 PM
Location
Art Building
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Art
Abstract
A body of work that consists of five digital illustrations, "True Love's Kiss," "Doomscroll," "Please Forgive Me," "You Are Here," and "I Think I Recognize You.” Each illustration portrays different aspects of my life as they relate to my identity as a trans man. The collection of illustrations utilize non-linear narratives and the use of text to contribute to their meaning. “True Love’s Kiss” (18.25 x 12.75 in) shows two trans men, myself and my partner, embracing and kissing in front of a couch. The color pallet is limited to imitate the trans pride flag. The forms of the two of us are interrupted by three panels that display more intimate moments between us, along with an inside joke. During a time with intense hate and negativity towards myself and other trans people, it feels important to remember the positive things in my life. I feel there’s no better way to combat external hate than to focus on the pure and endless love I have in my life. “Doomscroll” (12.75 x 18.25 in) depicts myself scrolling endlessly on my phone at night while a personified dread hangs over me. While I watch hate fill my phone screen, dread is whispering negative thoughts in my ear. This is all too often my nighttime routine, I’ll spend far too much time scrolling on my phone, the dread getting bigger with every hateful post I see. Even after I put my phone away, the dread remains. I spend even longer keeping myself awake with doomed thoughts, and I’ll attempt to escape these thoughts through my phone, repeating the cycle until I pass out or I start to see the sunrise through my curtains. While this experience is a far more shared one, especially in today’s age, the targeted hate combined with a curated social media feed succeeds in making this experience feel incredibly isolating. “Please Forgive Me” (18.25 x 12.75 in) shows myself offering flowers to an old and disheveled grave.The meaning behind this piece is revealed by the meaning of the flowers chosen. In my hand, are purple hyacinths, meaning “please forgive me.” Already at the grave are yellow carnations, which mean “dissappointment.” The grave is that of the expectations of the kind of life that I would live, which I failed to meet by coming out. The piece is about navigating the guilty feeling I carry by not meeting these expectations, but ultimately moving on from them. “You Are Here” (18.25 x 12.75 in) imitates a digital roadmap, with myself looking down the route trying to navigate my transition. There are three stops along the way, starting with hormone replacement therapy, going to a legal name change, and ending with top surgery. Though the path continues far past the last stop, trailing off into the horizon. This piece is about the lack of a complete guide to transitioning. The map is mostly empty, highlighting the lack of direction that I feel when it comes to the steps I need to take to reach the destinations I want, but also the endless possibilities that exist, as I get to create my own roadmap. “I Think I Recognize You” (18.25 x 12.75 in) depicts a three-part narrative, surprise, recognition, and relief, as I look in the mirror and finally begin to like what I see looking back at me. This has only started happening in recent years, but as my identity has been more affirmed and I’ve grown more comfortable and confident with my performance of masculinity, the face I see in the mirror has begun to feel more and more familiar, and not foreign like it had felt for many years prior.
Recommended Citation
Scheel, Zeke, "A Trans Man in the Modern Day" (2026). 2026 Symposium. 28.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2026/cw_2026/art_2026/28
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
A Trans Man in the Modern Day
Art Building
A body of work that consists of five digital illustrations, "True Love's Kiss," "Doomscroll," "Please Forgive Me," "You Are Here," and "I Think I Recognize You.” Each illustration portrays different aspects of my life as they relate to my identity as a trans man. The collection of illustrations utilize non-linear narratives and the use of text to contribute to their meaning. “True Love’s Kiss” (18.25 x 12.75 in) shows two trans men, myself and my partner, embracing and kissing in front of a couch. The color pallet is limited to imitate the trans pride flag. The forms of the two of us are interrupted by three panels that display more intimate moments between us, along with an inside joke. During a time with intense hate and negativity towards myself and other trans people, it feels important to remember the positive things in my life. I feel there’s no better way to combat external hate than to focus on the pure and endless love I have in my life. “Doomscroll” (12.75 x 18.25 in) depicts myself scrolling endlessly on my phone at night while a personified dread hangs over me. While I watch hate fill my phone screen, dread is whispering negative thoughts in my ear. This is all too often my nighttime routine, I’ll spend far too much time scrolling on my phone, the dread getting bigger with every hateful post I see. Even after I put my phone away, the dread remains. I spend even longer keeping myself awake with doomed thoughts, and I’ll attempt to escape these thoughts through my phone, repeating the cycle until I pass out or I start to see the sunrise through my curtains. While this experience is a far more shared one, especially in today’s age, the targeted hate combined with a curated social media feed succeeds in making this experience feel incredibly isolating. “Please Forgive Me” (18.25 x 12.75 in) shows myself offering flowers to an old and disheveled grave.The meaning behind this piece is revealed by the meaning of the flowers chosen. In my hand, are purple hyacinths, meaning “please forgive me.” Already at the grave are yellow carnations, which mean “dissappointment.” The grave is that of the expectations of the kind of life that I would live, which I failed to meet by coming out. The piece is about navigating the guilty feeling I carry by not meeting these expectations, but ultimately moving on from them. “You Are Here” (18.25 x 12.75 in) imitates a digital roadmap, with myself looking down the route trying to navigate my transition. There are three stops along the way, starting with hormone replacement therapy, going to a legal name change, and ending with top surgery. Though the path continues far past the last stop, trailing off into the horizon. This piece is about the lack of a complete guide to transitioning. The map is mostly empty, highlighting the lack of direction that I feel when it comes to the steps I need to take to reach the destinations I want, but also the endless possibilities that exist, as I get to create my own roadmap. “I Think I Recognize You” (18.25 x 12.75 in) depicts a three-part narrative, surprise, recognition, and relief, as I look in the mirror and finally begin to like what I see looking back at me. This has only started happening in recent years, but as my identity has been more affirmed and I’ve grown more comfortable and confident with my performance of masculinity, the face I see in the mirror has begun to feel more and more familiar, and not foreign like it had felt for many years prior.
