Inspired by religious iconography and other artists’ images of modern day saints—such as those by Kelly Latimore Icons and Gabriel Garcia Roman—Divine Identity celebrates the sacredness of queer folks of faith by transforming their portraits into icons.
Viewing icons is a meditative practice which creates a window through to the spirit of the individual being celebrated in the image. By contemplating the icons in this series, I hope queer folks will receive a sense of peace and comfort, feeling surrounded by their queer elders and siblings, especially when they may feel alone. Whether or not they are a person of faith, I hope these icons will empower queer viewers to embody their own sacredness.
There is a modern motif of creating religious icon imagery of activists, migrants, and trans women. Martin Luther King Jr. and Marsha P. Johnson are our modern day saints memorialized on Instagram, each with a holy halo around their head. There is a striking image of an undocumented migrant family crossing the border iconized as a modern day holy family seeking refuge in Bethlehem. These subversive art forms are prayers reminding us to honor the living saints among us.
I was moved by these pieces to highlight queer folks of faith by creating similar icons.
To bring to light those of us who are both queer and spiritual.
To encourage us and others to recognize our own sacredness.
We are all created in the image of the divine.
Our identities are divine.
Artist Bios
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Salgu Wissmath
Salgu Wissmath (they/them/theirs) is a nonbinary Korean American freelance photographer based in San Antonio, TX and Sacramento, CA. Their personal work explores the intersections of mental health, queer identity, and faith from a conceptual documentary approach. They were previously a Hearst Photo Fellow at San Antonio Express-News and the San Francisco Chronicle. Salgu was recognized as AAJA’s 2022 Emerging Journalist of the Year and received the 2023 Curve Award for Emerging Journalists. They are a 2024 Lauren Brown Fellow, 2022 IWMF Gwen Ifill Fellow, a 2021 California Arts Council Emerging Artist Fellow, and a recipient of a 2021 Puffin Foundation Grant and 2025 San Antonio Artist Grant. Their work has been published in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Texas Tribune, CalMatters, San Antonio Magazine, among others. Salgu is the Communications Director for Diversify Photo and a member of the Asian American Journalists Association, NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists, Trans Journalists Association, Women Photograph, and Authority Collective.
Organizations
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Photoville
Founded in 2011 in Brooklyn, NY, Photoville was built on the principles of addressing cultural equity and inclusion, which we are always striving for, by ensuring that the artists we exhibit are diverse in gender, class, and race.
In pursuit of its mission, Photoville produces an annual, city-wide open air photography festival in New York City, a wide range of free educational community initiatives, and a nationwide program of public art exhibitions.
By activating public spaces, amplifying visual storytellers, and creating unique and highly innovative exhibition and programming environments, we join the cause of nurturing a new lens of representation.
Through creative partnerships with festivals, city agencies, and other nonprofit organizations, Photoville offers visual storytellers, educators, and students financial support, mentorship, and promotional & production resources, on a range of exhibition opportunities.
For more information about Photoville visit, www.photoville.com
Divine Identity
Featuring: Salgu Wissmath
Supported by:
Locations
View Location Details Corporal John A. Seravalli Playground17 Horatio St,
New York, NY 10014
This reporting was supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation’s Lauren Brown Fellowship.
