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Chella Man        

Transgender Model, Activist & Artist

A New York-based artist, director, and author, Chella Man's work features the continuums of disability, race, gender, and sexuality. He blends the genres of painting and performance art while simultaneously exploring sculpture, writing, and live workshops. He is currently a mentor and resident at Silver Art Projects located in The World Trade Center. Man has shown at institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, Mana Contemporary, and will be exhibiting at The Pacific Design Center and The Abrons Arts Center this coming year. He was an artist-in-residence at the Palazzo Monti in Brescia, Italy in 2020. This past year, Man published his first book, Continuum, with Penguin Publishing, highlighting how to heal from systemic oppression and the revelations he has come to growing up.

The intersections of Man's identities as a Deaf, trans, Chinese and Jewish artist evoke a unique perspective. Before learning the language to articulate his experiences, art was a loophole. Creating visuals enabled him to express himself when lacking the proper language. Art became his catharsis when coming to terms with his emotions and views on disability, gender, race, sexuality. This relationship remains today within his work. Through his talks, he opens up on his experiences transitioning on testosterone, navigating the world with a disability, and facing isolation while growing up within a small and conservative town in Central Pennsylvania.

With over 257K subscribers and millions of views on his YouTube channel, Man is a true representation for many communities as he advocates for those within the disabled and/or queer communities.

He hopes to continue pushing the boundaries of what it means to be accessible, inclusive, and equal in this world.

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