I recently posted about trans//face, an exhibition by An Xiao. An Xiao took some time to share a little more about her exhibition with me:

How long did you shoot for this show, and were you able to take photos of everyone who wanted to be a part of the project?

I only had one day for the shoot, as the idea came to me when I heard about Jenn Dolari’s Webcomics Project, roughly three weeks before the Transgender Day of Remembrance (Trans DoR). I sent out a few calls for participation, scheduled the folks you see in the show, photographed them and sent out promotional materials. Thankfully, the exhibition came out strongly, despite a number of challenges. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, I was not able to photograph everyone interested in participating, but I’m hoping to continue the project in the spring for Trans DoR 2007.

I saw some of the exhibition photos at your website That Was Zen, This Is Tao. I found myself drawn to the photo titled “Mylo.” Do you have a favorite photo from the group?

It is so challenging for me to decide which photo I like best, but I must say that all of them resonate with me in different ways. For each individual and/or couple, I took dozens of photos and had to decide on only one or two for the exhibition. I chose the photos I did because of how they fit the stories these individuals told me.

What do you hope people will take with them from the exhibition?

I hope visitors will leave the exhibition with a deeper understanding of the indignities that many transgender individuals face on a daily basis.

Do you have any other projects in the works?

Not at the moment. I need to take a break and spend time with my friends and family. I’ll just be working on my usual street photography for now. If any transgender individuals and/or allies in the New York City and Los Angeles areas are interested in participating in trans//face 2007, please contact me via my website.

You can find a short bio for An Xiao at Hun Gallery. See some of her street photography on Flickr here.

Click here to read more about the Transgender Day of Remembrance Webcomics Project.

You can find Maria on MySpace here and read her current call for essays on femme identity here. Pick up Queer Shorts, her new anthology, at MergePress.com.