Trans artists gain recognition in museums, galleries

AKI Hassan (pronoun: they/their/themself) is a trans artist. It took a long time for them to find the courage to identify themself as one. But with the recent debut of their strong solo show at Yeo Workshop, Aki is no longer afraid to call themself that. 

Like many trans artists, Aki has struggled long and hard with various issues such as gender identity, dysphoria and discrimination. That painful struggle is often expressed, either consciously or subconsciously, in their abstract art. The sculptures and paintings often feature straight lines and soft curves meeting, clashing, fusing – as if unsure what to do with each other. Colour schemes such as pinks, beiges and browns evoke flesh tones.

“For me, these lines are a way of abstracting masculinity and femininity, seeing how the two sit with each other, how their gestures meet or point to each other,” says Aki. “I find it hard to think of gender in concrete terms. When I see photographs of certain types of people, I wonder: Why don’t I look like them? Why am I different?”

Aki’s art is so honest, delicate and vulnerable that curators and gallerists have been quick to embrace their practice. Shortly after they returned from the Glasgow School Of Art in 2020, the Singapore Art Museum (SAM) included their work in a group exhibition of promising young talents. 

Audrey Yeo, the founder of commercial gallery Yeo Workshop, visited the exhibition and was instantly struck. After meeting Aki and finding out more about their art, Yeo offered to stage their debut, giving them two years to prepare for the current exhibition, now running till Jun 18. SAM also commissioned them to create two sculptures for its public art trail.

Yeo says giving Aki their breakthrough solo was a no-brainer: “I particularly like Aki’s sculptures, which see them expertly bending metal. It’s not a material that many young artists choose to work with… As for their trans identity, it did not matter to me. The art world is mostly open-minded, and the art collectors that I sell to are intelligent and emotionally sensitive. So Aki’s trans identity has never been an issue.”

Universally resonant art

Trans and non-binary artists are increasingly gaining recognition in museums and commercial galleries across the world. In Singapore, young artists such as Divaagar and nor have either been commissioned by state-funded museums or appeared in state-approved group shows. Sam Lo, a trans artist known as Sticker Lady before they transitioned into a man, has been involved in state initiatives such as Chingay Parade and Singapore Art Week, and also commissioned by companies such as Nike, Coliwoo and Aethos bikes.

Over at Cuturi Gallery, founder Kevin Cuturi is one of the first commercial gallerists here to give a trans artist their big break. Marla Bendini, who identifies as trans woman, was practising for 10 years before getting signed on to Cuturi in 2020.

Bendini’s art grapples a lot with the embodiment of her trans identity. Her photographs and paintings are often self-portraits that might contain nude or semi-nude elements as a way of telling the world who she is. She says: “I make art that I’m not seeing in the wider Singapore public, art that is honest about my struggles as a trans woman… But I also think my art goes beyond trans issues to touch on feminine identity, mental health and other universal issues of struggle.”

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Cuturi has only good things to say of her: “Marla is very kind, positive and charismatic. She has a strong message to share, which is strongly felt in her paintings. The works are rich in narrative and symbolism… and she has received strong support from both our Singaporean collectors and international buyers.” 

Gradual acceptance

Asia has lagged behind the West in terms of trans acceptance. But there are signs of change. Hong Kong-born artist Jes Fan made a splash in Venice Biennale 2022, among other international exhibitions, and is represented by the well-regarded Empty Gallery in Hong Kong. In Malaysia, Anne Samat has drawn attention for her beautifully-weaved installations and is represented by New York gallery Marc Straus. That said, many Asian trans artists still face tremendous discrimination and their art shows have been shut down by authorities. 

Bendini says: “I’m glad there’ve been more opportunities for trans artists to exhibit in Singapore. But LGBTQ, gender and sexuality issues still fall under the umbrella of ‘mature themes’ (according to the government). And that prevents younger trans folk from accessing the art that we do, that could make a difference in how they see themselves.”

Aki has had good experiences dealing with local museums. “The curators at SAM have been incredibly warm and receptive. They always make sure our voices are heard and included in the conversation. I couldn’t be more grateful… Of course, there are institutions and people that are less empathetic, using the wrong pronouns, referring to you by your legal name instead of the name you’ve chosen for yourself, and so on… But to be honest, no matter where I go, I think I’ll always feel a sense of oppression, a need to suppress certain things in myself, because I’m a trans person.”  

Aki Hassan’s show runs at Yeo Workshop, Gillman Barracks, till Jun 18. There will be an artist talk and activation at the gallery on Jun 10 at 4pm.