It’s Personal is a new mixed-media art exhibition at New York’s OCDChinatown gallery that presents an intimate composition of gender, youth, agency, freedom and self-expression. Here, works by three young trans artists Nash Glynn, Sam Penn and Ser Serpas interact with one another to create a fluid, authentic dialogue: Penn’s ethereal photography offers portraits of friends caught in moments of affection and reflection; Glynn composes notes of symbolism, self-portraits and minimalist landscapes; and Serpas’ conceptual nudes see personal stories imbued with each painted stroke. Penned by Hannah Baer, author of acclaimed 2020 book, Trans Girl Suicide Museum, the show’s accompanying press release explores common ground between all three artists, posing the questions: “Who gets to look at women and girls, who gets to look inside women and girls, who gets to know what’s happening with women and girls, who gets to decide what happens to women and girls…”

Ser Serpas

Can you tell us about your exhibiting artwork?
“The two paintings in the show take on a similar motion and feel as if they’re being dragged out of the frame, or rather exalting off into a corner, or just leaning over. I love playing with motion in that way, and I feel that it came to in both of these successfully, the motion, whatever it is, is trapped, like a vignette. ”

What does it mean to you to be presenting your work in this group exhibition?
“Nash and Sam are two dear friends of mine, getting to present work in this way is at once a joy among friends (I wish I could be there for the opening or closing) and maybe a confirmation of a feeling I had about all of our work in conversation, in that it’s elicited a positive response from those we wish to be in a context with, and contributes to a scene we all participate in.”

Sam Penn

Can you tell us about your exhibiting artwork?
“I have five photographs in this show, all of which feature people I love. Taking photos is a social practice for me. I bring my camera with me everywhere I go and I’m honored to have friends who let me take their picture in the middle of a bath; during an intimate moment with their girlfriend, or their girlfriend’s other girlfriend. These photos are a result of the connection between me and the people pictured which is what leads us to moments worth freezing in time.”

What does it mean to you to be presenting your work in this group exhibition?
“It’s a dream to show with Nash and Ser. They make incredible work, and they are two of my closest friends. This is my first time making prints of my photographs, which are really my attempts to hold onto our world, so getting to show them alongside Nash and Ser’s paintings feels like an extension of what my work is about.”

Nash Glynn

Can you tell us about your exhibiting artwork?
“Two paintings. One a self portrait seated in a landscape. The other is an interior, a pair roses.

What does it mean to you to be presenting your work in this group exhibition?
“Everything.”

It’s Personal runs at OCDChinatown, 75 E Broadway, until 19th March