Artist Statement

Viera Moss’ art examines the conflict between the embodied self and the world sacrificed to create it. Her art pays reverence to Trans and Gender Non-Conforming people and seeks to determine the ways in which they are represented and perceived by outsiders. To transition is to shed yourself of the intrinsic safety and privilege that humanity provides and to create instead your own version of what it means to hold something inherent to your character. Viera seeks to depict the complexities that her community conveys through their choices of self-expression and how they would like to be represented in the world. These portraits are presented without irony, cynicism, or any other post-modern ideal in mind.

Viera uses second-hand garments, fabrics, and accessories to create found-object canvasses. In doing so, she allows a comparison between the subject and the canvas. When we choose to make a radical decision such as transitioning, a type of sundering happens. Some aspects of our lives are embraced, and some are rejected, but those parts of the former self that are abandoned can instead turn into nourishment for defining and developing the manifested self.

Her self-portraits are autobiographical and compass a range of subjects from the pervasive beauty conventions that limit and isolate trans women to trauma and costs that accompany socially and medically transitioning. Feelings of fear, resentment, joy, and affirmation accompany these self-portraits, demonstrating universal emotions yet specific to the subject or struggle. The trans experience is varied and personal, yet communal. This contrast creates an environment where there are conflicting viewpoints and perspectives on what it means to express oneself. Viera Moss’ work examines this conflict, processes it, and presents it without judgment or prejudice.

Viera Moss’ earnest portraits identify what makes us unique and the common threads that connect us all. They explore the distinctive ways in which we present ourselves to the world and the responses we receive when stepping outside society’s boundaries.