an exclusive interview with:
Andrés
Q: Introduce yourself: Your name, preferred pronouns, how you identify in the LGBTQ+ community. Feel free to include or exclude whatever information you would like.
A: My name is Andrés, some people know me as Trish, but I prefer Andrés. My pronouns are he/him/his and I identify as queer : )
follow Andrés on Instagram!
@andres_princeg
Q: Talk about your fashion. Does it relate to a certain way you identify? Has it changed over the course of your life?
A: I spent a lot of time in high school and middle school feeling self conscious and restrained as far as what I wore, I still remember I really wanted some uggs because I thought they were super cute and comfortable and when I actually got them and wore them to school people were really rude to me. So I shut it down after that and that was kind of how it was for a while, feeling inclined to certain things but being hung up on what people thought. Then at RISD I really just started to wear whatever I wanted from short-shorts to jelly shoes to skin tight Forever 21 tops. I pretty exclusively shopped women’s clothing Sophomore to Junior year. I think that time period was good to get a lot of restrained feelings out of my system, but now I think I’ve settled into more conservative/masc looks because my means for expressing my femininity has shifted from clothing to hair.
Q: Can you talk about your thoughts on the 'coming out' process, whether that be coming out to yourself or to the people around you. Do you agree/disagree this should be something Queer-identifying people should engage in? Is this something you did yourself?
A: I really hated the idea of coming out. Not because I was afraid of it (although I partially was) but mostly because it felt really self important and I didn’t think liking boys was a big deal and didn’t feel like I needed to sit everyone down and reveal a BIG SECRET. I can understand why to some people see it is a very important thing to do, but I really was not a fan personally. Regardless I did end up having that moment with my family, but more like I just kind of casually mentioned it with the flow of conversation.
Q: Have your parents/guardians expressed any opinions about your identity? Are they aware of it?
A: There was some weirdness when I was younger and was interested in collecting barbie dolls and putting on makeup/wigs. I was always kind of hard headed about it, even though my parents kind of disapproved it didn’t really discourage me because I didn’t really see why it was such a big deal. But when I got into middle school I gave in and started to really internalize shame.
Q: Can you talk a little about being a Queer artist? How has your identity impacted the way you make art and/or the subject matter that your pieces engage in?
A: It’s hard because I never felt like I could define myself, I always felt like someone else’s ideas were in my mind and it was hard to navigate myself honestly feeling my identity was pre packaged (which is why I prefer queer as opposed to gay since queer feels less limited) so it was hard to approach it in my artwork. I think that it has formed naturally though as I find a comfortable form of personal expression and just let my work be an honest expression of my sense of beauty (as opposed to trying to make what I thought queer art had to be, which was always forced).
Q: Do you have a role model?
A: Recently I really admire Ryon Wu. He’s a really cute instagrammer, I really like his style and dig how he curates himself.
Q: If you could impart advice, tips, or guides to a younger version of yourself, what would they be? Is there anything you would like to say to your future self?
A:
To my past self: finding empowerment and beauty in embracing femininity doesn’t mean you are any less of a boy
To my future self: I hope you’re slaying some new hairstyles!!
Thank you so much, Andrés ! It was such a blast photographing you and I look forward to our next collab!! <3 <3
follow Andrés on Instagram!
@andres_princeg
