Remembrance

In this painting, a man clutches the absence of his lover, pulling him close until their foreheads touch so they can share an intimate, powerful moment together, even though he's gone. Surrounding the couple and visible within the absent lover, is the chaotic colors and stars of a galaxy. Because though they are taken from us, even though they are no longer here where we can touch them, so long as we hold them close in our hearts, remember them fondly and often, and act forever as if they are beside us, they are never truly gone. This painting was made in honor of Transgender Day of Remembrance, an annual day on which everyone who cares about transgender people grieves the countless lives lost each year through transphobic violence by reciting the names of the victims aloud at candlelight vigils, refusing to forget them or let their deaths happen without justice, voice, or memorial.