With “SuperTrans,” Laurel Charleston, brings together artists from all over the world who are not merely masters of their craft: they are propelling those crafts beyond their current boundaries. “This is a celebration of gender variance in fine art,” she said, “and gender variance, more specifically, on the blockchain.” Charleston, an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ issues and rights, was thrilled to be approached by SuperRare to curate this event, and that excitement has in no way diminished as the opening date approaches. She views this as an opportunity to uplift voices that are still being overlooked as we shift further into the decentralized, and purportedly more inclusive, Web3 sector. Charleston herself has seen and experienced, firsthand, marginalization even within her own community. When describing her position as Assistant Conductor of the Queer Urban Orchestra in New York City, a post she’s recently vacated, she observed that the leadership was only interested in showcasing the voices of white, gay men. “That’s something that happens so often, especially in America, where we focus on one category or one identity that has the most privilege in these spaces, and forget about the rest of the artists that still don’t have a voice.” Charleston noted that while it has become more common to see LGBTQ+ persons boosted in their various sectors, trans, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming artists are still placed on the backburner, failing to receive the same degree of visibility and monetary compensation as other queer individuals.
