"Self Portrait: Nahdav" by Davi (them/cualquier)

Ink, Mixed Paper, Oil Pastel on Bristol Board

Inspired by street art in the Plaza de Armas in Lima, Peru, this self portrait depicts the artist holding their own heart in the palm of their hand, while a concave chest suggests that the organ itself is missing from their body. The heart is made of pharmacy papers given with hormone prescriptions, and the two drugs "Spiralactone" and "Estradiol" are centered after closer inspection. The breast, in its beginning stages of formation, is hidden under the bicep, but the exposed nipple leaks the cursive Hebrew spelling of the artist's name: Nahdav, meaning "generous." One must consider whether the heart is being offered, received, or taken.