Typography Experimentations

Dear America, Chaz Howkins, 2016, pen and coloured pencil

Miss EU Already, Chaz Howkins, 2016, coloured pencil and fine liner

I've been wanting to experiment with typography so decided to create some topical drawings based on recent events.

Ruby Rose

Ruby Rose, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil on paper collage

I originally intended to create a series of drawings of gender queer suicide victims on print outs of news articles about them, however I found that there was very little media coverage of these incidents.  I noticed that Ruby Rose was a trending news topic and went on to find dozens of articles about how she 'flew the flag for gender fluidity' at the VMAs.  She made a single comment at the award show greeting the audience as 'ladies, gentlemen and those in between' and the several articles made references to how she 'blew up the Internet' by doing this.  This piece is a response to the media's response to her comment: it is not a criticism of what she said but rathuuer a criticism of why this is news.  I am incredibly happy that Ruby Rose acknowledges and draws attention to the notion that gender is not binary and disappointed that the media finds this so shocking.  This should not be news, this should just be accepted as how it is.

Not a Statistic

Not a Statistic, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil on printed suicide note

I drew this transwoman on top of her own suicide note as she felt she couldn't continue to live in a world where she wasn't accepted and didn't want to be remembered as just another statistic.  She wanted her story to be shared so that people understood that transgender people are real people; I felt that drawing her over suicide note helps to spread her message while putting a face to the story to make it seem more real.