Kaden Sebastian
Contemporary art aspires to present humanity in the diversity of its bodily, societal, and emotional aspects, introducing the previously marginalized figures. Giving form to his personal experience, Kaden Sebastian intertwines symbolism related to queer culture with the realistic depiction of its representatives.
The featured acrylic paintings belong to the two series by the artist. Their conceptual underpinnings are immediately visualized through the shapes of the custom-made canvases that reference the episodes of the movement’s turmoil history.
For instance, The Pink Triangle paintings with the portraits of the singers Luka Bazulka and Lil Nas X draw on the symbol initially used to stigmatize the LGBTQIA+ community. In the 1930s and 1940s Nazi Germany, individuals identified as homosexual were forced to wear downward-pointing pink triangles as a marker of persecution and dehumanization. Decades later, during the 1970s, activists within the LGBTQIA+ movement reappropriated this symbol, flipping it upward. This reimagining transformed the pink triangle into a powerful emblem of resistance, pride, and solidarity. The series explores the duality of its history—its origins in oppression and its evolution into a beacon of empowerment and visibility—while reflecting on how reclaiming symbols can reshape collective identity and cultural narratives.
The tie-like shape of the canvases from the Lavender Drag Queens series, with portraits of iconic drag artists, overlaid on the paisley pattern often used in the designs of handkerchiefs, hints at the handkerchief code. It was a discreet signalling system popular in the 1970s. Coloured handkerchiefs in back pockets conveyed sexual preferences and identities. Kaden chose lavender as a symbol of drag queens, praising the community’s ability to connect and thrive despite societal rejection, bridging queer history with modern self-expression.
All portraits approach the classical realistic manner of rendering the details. The sensuality of the male figures reminds of the paintings by Caravaggio. The Italian master was renowned for his dramatic use of chiaroscuro and naturalistic depictions of the human form. His compositions are often discussed in the context of queerness due to the homoerotic undertones in many of his works that suggest an intimacy and subversion of traditional gender norms. While keeping traditional aesthetics of the human figure’s depiction in mind, Kaden charges it with different meanings and honours the enduring fight for representation and equality.
Kaden Sebastian is a queer artist specializing in painting and animation, currently based in the Los Angeles area. Originally from Connecticut, he received dual degrees in animation and fine arts, with a concentration in painting, alongside a theatre minor at Ball State University (2018–2024). As a motion graphics artist, he was a story co-lead and animator for the production of Moonlight Escape short film (2021). Kaden’s work has been featured in prominent exhibitions such as Ball State’s Annual Juried Student Art Show and Foundations Show, as well as the Richmond Art Museum’s 124th Juried Annual Exhibition. He is recipient of the College of Fine Arts INNOVATE Grant.
Kaden Sebastian is the Bronze Artist of the ArtAscent Figures call for artists. To see the full body of work and profile, get a copy of the 2025 ArtAscent Art & Literature Journal Figures issue.
