Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story

St. Louis-based contemporary artist Jess T. Dugan explores facets of identity through their photography, video, and writing.

Grounded in their own experience as a queer, nonbinary person, Dugan’s work addresses the universal human need to understand, express oneself, and connect with others. 

Dugan’s previous body of work, To Survive on This Shore: Photographs and Interviews with Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Older Adults (2018), a series of portraits and in-depth interviews collected in collaboration with scholar Vanessa Fabbre, received acclaim for providing visibility to a community whose lives and struggles have largely gone unrepresented in a nuanced or thoughtful way.

Credit: Overview from museum website