Her Name is Phoenix

As an Asian American woman, I have always struggled with the cultural norms and beauty standards that define women. Growing up with three brothers, I have often been challenged with what makes me female and how to represent myself accordingly. I have struggled with my own identity as a woman, but gender identity has never been an issue for me as a cis-woman.

I met Phoenix working a fashion show in Reno, Nevada in December of 2012. I was a model who ended up as a backup makeup-artist, and Phoenix also came in as a last-minute makeup artist. Since then, we have worked several fashion shows and I have watched Phoenix slowly transition over the years. From being re-introduced with her new name to her recent top surgery, Phoenix has always been a person with presence to me.

As women, we have bonded over the years and now I consider Phoenix one of my tribe. We both struggle with insecurities over our bodies, we love working in front of the camera and behind the scenes, and we use the same pronouns. We are both fighters and dreamers, we are independent. To me, we are women, she is a part of my sisterhood. There is no need to qualify what makes her a woman to me.

“Her Name is Phoenix” is a series meant for every person, regardless of gender. It is for every person who has never felt enough, for each person that has wanted to change a part of themselves because they hated it, and for every person who has endured the path of self-discovery.  “Her Name is Phoenix” is a lyrical documentary that explores Phoenix’s every-day life. The series focuses on the complexity of identity as well as beauty when it comes to women as Phoenix is a transgendered woman.

“Her Name is Phoenix” focuses on how we all have vulnerabilities based on society’s standards of beauty and what it means to be a woman. My work seeks to challenge the viewer’s definition of a woman, of gender, and of beauty as defined by society and personal experiences. I invite the viewer to explore Phoenix’s vulnerabilities, her insecurities as well as her truth and happiness as represented in our series.