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Last Updated: April 1, 2023 by ritnppa

2023 Category: Portrait

First Place: Maya Giron

Roman Alexander Douset, 20, of Greece, N.Y., takes photos of themself prior to a photo shoot on Dec. 6, 2022. Roman has been an OnlyFans creator since they were 18 and hopes to promote positive and safe environments for women to work in the sex industry.

Second Place: Vincent Alban

Master Glover poses for a portrait in an Extended Stay hotel room in Greece, N.Y., on Sept. 20, 2022. Glover was shot eight times on July 20, 2022, and now needs to use a walker for an injury to his left leg. He spent 20 days in the hospital, where he says that he felt mistreated as if he was a throwaway case. He is living at the hotel for peace and quiet while he is recovering. “I am still trying to figure that out,” says Glover. “Obviously for me to get shot eight times like I did; I know I definitely have to have a purpose because I’m still here. So hopefully one day God shows me that purpose and I see it. I mean, right now, my purpose is just trying to heal and be there for my son.”

Third Place: Maya Giron

Fawna (she/they), 21, or Nathan Cobbs (he/they) while out of drag, is a drag queen performer originally from Washington D.C. She came to Rochester in 2019 to attend University of Rochester and is now a fourth year studio arts and art history double major set to graduate in 2023. Outside of working on her senior thesis she performs in drag at multiple locations throughout Rochester including Photo City Music Hall, Roar, and Bug Jar. She has also performed at numerous locations in New York City as well as Washington D.C. “When I first started it was sort of just utilizing myself as a medium I guess…one as an extension of gender but also an extension of my own creative expression,” says Fawna. “It’s an extension of myself.” Fawna is non-binary and feels her take on drag to be more alternative and strays from the traditional drag appearance. “I feel like I’m never really going for a hyper-fem type of vibe…I feel like the way I present it just wouldn’t mesh…But I think that sort of like [allows] me to present my take on femininity and not even just femininity but gender in a sort of way.”

Honorable Mention: Georgia Pressley

Shayna Kiblin, a fiber and installation artist, sits for a portrait with her installation “Pillow Princess” at the RIT City Art Space in Rochester, N.Y., on April 15, 2022. Kiblin’s work focuses on themes around identity. “Pillow Princess” specifically explores ideas about lesbianism.

Honorable Mention: Vincent Alban

Cashmere Poole, 14, poses for a portrait outside his home in Rochester, N.Y., on Feb. 12, 2023. His tattoo, “Dramma,” is meant to honor his older cousin, Jamma Balkum, who was killed in a shooting on Aug. 30, 2021. Poole was close to Balkum, as they lived together after Balkum was released from prison in 2021, following a 6-year-sentence for a gun charge.

Category: 2023 What We Do, Contests Tags: Maya Giron, Vincent Alban