 The model undressed and got into position, an unlit cigarette resting between their fingers. Ludovica – the amazing non-binary statuesque figure in front of a class of 10 people – then said: 'I call this pose Cigarettes After Sex.' It was aptly named. Not just because of the prop cigarette, but because they embodied the effortlessly cool, androgynous vibe of the ambient pop band with the same name. I wanted to do the pose – and the model – justice. I wanted my sketch to reflect the confidence that was emanating off their body. For two hours, we all sketched in silence, calming jazz playing in the background, and I fell into a mindful flow-state. At the end of the class, I found myself overwhelmed with a new sense of empowerment. For two hours, we all sketched in silence (Picture: Cleo Chaisty) Ludovica was so comfortable in their own skin that they could sit naked in front of a room full of strangers. As someone who has always had cripplingly low self-esteem, this was a staggering concept. If they were able to feel this level of comfort with their body and their gender identity, then surely I could find that too. In that moment, I realised that classes and communities that centre trans and non-binary people, like myself, have the power to help us reconnect with ourselves and find self-acceptance. I've used art as an outlet for my emotions since I was a teenager (Picture: Cleo Chaisty) It wasn't always like this though. For years, I had been forcing myself to look and act 'like a woman' to make everyone around me happy. As a result, I was making myself miserable. Dressing in feminine clothing had always made me feel like I was wearing a halloween costume. I remember being 11 years old, shopping for clothes with my mum, and begging her to buy me t-shirts and trousers from the boys' section. She would drag me over to the girls' dresses and skirts, telling me how much prettier I wou){kind=link}
NEWS… BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT
The model undressed and got into position, an unlit cigarette resting between their fingers.
Ludovica – the amazing non-binary statuesque figure in front of a class of 10 people – then said: ‘I call this pose Cigarettes After Sex.’
It was aptly named. Not just because of the prop cigarette, but because they embodied the effortlessly cool, androgynous vibe of the ambient pop band with the same name.
I wanted to do the pose – and the model – justice. I wanted my sketch to reflect the confidence that was emanating off their body.