Rafaela Kennedy: "Society has very distorted ideas about what it means to be a transvestite."
The Brazilian photographer recasts her transvestite corporeality as a political identity. Presentes asked her five questions; you can read her answers here.
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MEXICO CITY, Mexico. “I am a recovering transvestite and Indigenous person,” says Rafaela Kennedy , a Brazilian photographer born and raised in Manaus, in the state of Amazonas. Presentes spoke with her about her work, the power of capturing the lives of beauties—as she refers to other trans women and transvestites—and her desire to grow old dancing near a river.
For Rafaela, it's important to mention her transvestite identity as a political one. "In Brazil, to this day, the image of the transvestite is directly linked to a dissident and marginalized corporeality. I'm part of a Brazilian generation that wants to redefine that. I see myself as the daughter of older transvestites, of those who resisted various processes of social violence," she says.
In February 2022, Rafaela exhibited her work at the art and design fair ' Zona Maco ', in Mexico City where she won the Women Artist Residency Awɑrd, a place in the artistic residence of Casa Wabi , a civil association that fosters the exchange between contemporary art and the communities of Puerto Escondido, Mexico City and Tokyo.
Rafaela Kennedy is the first transvestite to participate in Casa Wabi's residency program in Puerto Escondido, a coastal municipality in Oaxaca, Mexico.
From the seashore, Rafaela answers five questions for Presentes .
With your photographic work, you seek to naturalize the transvestite body. What does that entail?
Society has very distorted and fetishized ideas about what it means to be a transvestite . We walk hand in hand with the repulsion of being a body that transforms, that transcends binary forms, that experiences and lives itself, breaking with hegemony and beauty ideals. I want to naturalize life in a loose way, with courage and sensitivity. May we be present corporeality, no longer absent in everyday life. We are all diverse, with the relationship between our bodies and subjectivity, and we make the transition every time we desire change and learn new things.
The truth is that we are alone in marginalized places because the capitalist machine cannot handle what it has no control over . We are not willing to give up our truth, which is our body. We bring healing to the world; our spirit is old, it is ancestral. The social repair of our community is urgent; we need to talk about this!
. Photo: Rafaela Kennedy.
What are you working on now, and how does it relate to trans, indigenous, and Black identities in Oaxaca?
In the first few weeks of the residency, my task was to develop a community project with the people living around Casa Wabi. I met three trans women from two communities, El Cacalote and Río Grande. They are Shaky Paz, Astrid Barranco, and Mística Alondra. From our encounters and conversations, I created a portrait of each of them, and they are now part of a set of four works I call "Celebration."
The fourth work is a quote from another Brazilian visual artist I invited to participate in the project, Manauara Clandestina , whom I consider a great thinker in contemporary Brazilian art. This set of photographs is an installation intended as a traveling exhibition, a call for social reflection on trans lives.
As part of my research process, I'm creating a series of self-portraits that discuss the feelings of being subjected to territorial displacement, providing an escape from a creative process I've been reflecting on: conquest and possibility . At the same time, I'm creating a series of portraits and photographic performances that continue my research, which I began in Brazil and is now beginning to take on greater significance with my connection with other trans, Indigenous, and Black women here in Mexico.
What does it mean professionally and in your daily life to portray other beauties (trans women and transvestites)?
My nonconformity in life due to the limitations of my body's expression brought me here. Through photography, I share perceptions, social critiques, and very sensitive reflections on my ongoing transition experience. Through other perspectives, I make myself visible, while projecting other stories shared by the people I meet, strengthening a movement of life and myself.
I can perceive, in those moments, that we are extremely precious beings. We are imbued with a unique sensitivity; our perspective on the world is something I love, because amidst all the impossibilities, we still desire life.
It's this sensitivity that drives my creative process. It's in this place that I feel I can sharpen the sometimes latent perceptions and feelings of those who encounter my work, such as empathy and respect.
Photo: Rafaela Kennedy
What value does photography and self-representation have in the face of violent contexts and a 35-year life expectancy?
still necessary to build reconfigurations through images that make possible the idea that one can be here, that one conquers other spaces beyond those that condition us . The construction of memory through images and the naturalization of our identities is what makes me believe that we can still live in a less violent society, being able to grow old and remember through photographs of our youth . I always feel very honored when I capture a transvestite who is over 35 years old; photographing is also a way of giving thanks and celebrating.
I feel that every day we become more aware of the importance of resonating with our own narratives. Little by little, we are building a path led by us that will inspire a new generation of transvestites, trans women, non-binary people, and transmasculine individuals, not only in the art field but also in different professional spaces. It is a process of moving cisgender people from a neutral place, as they are also subjects and participate in the violence that surrounds us daily. It is our time to speak.
Photo: Rafaela Kennedy.
When you're not photographing, what do you enjoy, where do you focus your gaze, and how do you imagine your old age?
I like being around my friends, sharing experiences, and laughing with them at a bar over a beer or at home. I love riding my bike with headphones on, listening to music from Kali Uchis to Pop Som from the state of Pará, and now Bad Bunny. I'm happy when I return to my city and see my family healthy. I love the sky, the sunset, and the stars at night. I love the nature of life and the colors.
I imagine myself living in a house with land where I can raise animals, with lots of trees and plants nearby. I want to be able to go to a bar by the river and dance to a melody, remembering the good times and loves I've built throughout my life.
* The photos are part of the work the artist is currently doing.
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