Kaitlin Burns is a self-taught artist finding their way while challenging the black and white world of commercially driven values, views and norms. With an affinity for pop art fueled from an early interest in Andy Warhol, Kaitlin’s passion to challenge the societal norms of identity is presented in these polychrome pieces. “I’ve always liked pop art colors because I like challenging myself to use colors I typically wouldn’t for real world subject matter” (Burns, K).

Finding yourself and growing into your identity surrounded by societal norms and views is not easy for anyone. Realizing you don’t fit into the box of those norms is not any easier. Queer people don’t typically fit into any binary, so they are faced with instilled fear of being themselves in our world. The lack of queer representation creates an obstacle towards acceptance from the rest of the world, which is the foundation of the LGBTQ+ community and its culture. Kaitlin is heavily influenced by queer culture and the struggle of identity, so the pieces are meant to not only represent a hidden community, but to represent it in a bold, unique and memorable way.