It’s hard not to smile when looking at Rae Senarighi’s work. The self-described “champion of storytelling through art,” who is transgender and nonbinary, uses bold colors and rainbow hues to depict accurate, celebratory representation of the trans community. You may have seen his larger-than-life portraits of trans and nonbinary figures at Edgewood and Madison colleges, in Gib’s Bar and Giant Jones Brewing Co. or in the mayor’s office. Here’s a look at how this Madison artist inspires self-compassion and activism through art.
Photo courtesy of Rae Senarighi
Early Adversity
Senarighi grew up in a strict evangelical household in Missoula, Montana, with little access to culture or the outside world. His mother, a self-taught artist in her own right, died when he was 11. It wasn’t until he transferred from a private Christian high school to public school that he became exposed to people from other backgrounds and embraced his queerness. “I had my mind blown in a lot of ways,” he says.
Change in Perspective
After graduating from college with a degree in graphic design, Senarighi began working as a scientific illustrator. It was during this time that he gained confidence in his abilities and began to figure out his gender identity. Then, in 2015, he was diagnosed with cancer. That brush with mortality led to a revelation about how he wanted to use his talents. “Before that happened, I was making art just to make money,” Senarighi says. “When I survived [cancer], I made a commitment to spending time in my studio making art for me.”
Photo courtesy of Rae Senarighi
Netflix Calls
In 2018, Netflix and GLAAD invited Senarighi to live-paint a series of portraits of transgender celebrities for the streaming service’s “First Time I Saw Me” video series. The 48-by-60-inch portraits typically take Senarighi anywhere from a month to six months to complete; for this series, he had only 45 minutes while his subjects were interviewed about trans media representation behind a curtain. The pressure was worth it once he got to see his peers’ reactions. “It was almost an out-of-body experience,” Senarighi says.
Expanding His Canvas
Even as his art was reaching a broader audience, a wave of anti-trans sentiment at the highest levels of government left Senarighi feeling helpless. In 2021, he reached out to Fair Wisconsin and GSAFE to see how he might help, and together they agreed on a design — the Progress Pride flag, superimposed with flowers and the phrase “You Are Loved” — to be displayed on a billboard above The Beltline. The message was so well received that it soon appeared on hundreds of billboards across the country. Says Senarighi, “I was thinking that trans and LGBTQ youth who might be struggling would see it and have a little bit of hope and hang in there.”
Progress Pride flag on State Street (Photo by Mark Rasdorf)
Walking the Walk
Most recently, Senarighi helped fund the painting of the Progress Pride flag crosswalk on State Street in front of the Capitol by selling his portrait of the late LGBTQ+ pioneer Dick Wagner. The sale was contingent on two conditions: that the proceeds go specifically to fund the crosswalk and that the portrait be displayed publicly in a place impacted by the legislation Wagner fought for during his career as a public servant.
Want to spread Senarighi’s message of trans and LGBTQ+ empowerment? T-shirts, yard signs and bumper stickers bearing the slogans “You Are Loved” and “Defend Trans Lives” are available for purchase via the Fair Wisconsin website. All proceeds are used to support the work of GSAFE and Fair Wisconsin.
Rae Senarighi by the Numbers
315 — Minutes he had to paint seven portraits of trans figures for Netflix’s “First Time I Saw Me” (45 minutes per subject)
14 — Colors on average used to create the rainbow skin tones of his portrait subjects
205 — Billboards bearing his “You Are Loved” design around the U.S. since 2021
$50,000+ — Amount raised for GSAFE and Fair Wisconsin through the sale of “You Are Loved” merchandise
Jeff Oloizia is a contributing writer at Madison Magazine.
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