Faces in the Crowd: The People & Symbols in Brian Kenny’s Mural

The monumental new work at Open Door Health's South Providence clinic contains some familiar faces and icons. Explore who they are and what they mean.

“Love is a Many Gendered Thing,” the new mural by internationally-renowned queer artist Brian Kenny located at Open Door Health‘s clinic in South Providence, is a monumental tribute to the trans and queer communities that ODH serves. Interlaced throughout this complex work, done in Kenny’s signature line drawing style, are the faces of real people, members of the LGTBQ+ community both here in Providence and around the world, as well as symbols representing both broad themes and local flavors. There is so much to explore in this important new work of public art, so we’ve compiled this guide to help you understand who and what are depicted in Kenny’s mural.

The completed work stands approximately 40 feet high on the exterior wall of the Pearl Street Lofts, where ODH's clinic is housed, and includes more than a dozen faces.

Christina Hayworth (she/her, deceased) was one of the first openly trans women in Puerto Rico and founded the LGBT Pride Parade there. She was present at the famed Stonewall Riots in 1969. In 2015, a portrait of her and her friend Sylvia Rivera, also pictured in this mural, became the first portrait of a trans American to hang in a Smithsonian Museum.

Tatiana Jones (she/her, deceased) was a Providence trans woman. In fact, she was the first trans person recommended to Kenny for inclusion in this mural. She was heavily involved with Project Weber/RENEW, a local harm reduction and recovery agency.

Sylvia Rivera (she/her, deceased) was a trans woman and an internationally known activist for gay and transgender rights. She was present at the Stonewall Riots was a noted community activist in her hometown of New York City.

Elle Moxley (she/her) is a trans woman based in New York and L.A. She founded the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, a nonprofit that defends the rights of Black transgender people, and a was founding member of the Black Lives Matter Network.

The Statue of Liberty figure plays with the gender of one of America's most recognizable icons. The face is loosely inspired by the artist himself, who is also a resident of NYC.

Kayden (he/him) is a trans man who lives in Providence and is intended to represent trans youth culture.

Richie De Filippo (he/him) is a board member at ODH and is the current Mr. Gay Rhode Island. It was he who originally suggested Brian Kenny as a potential artist for this project. He is depicted adorned with the LGBTQ+ Equality symbol and a sash of the Progress Pride flag.

Chris Harris (he/him, deceased) was an activist for the LGBTQ+ community in Rhode Island and the founder of EGO Nightclub in Providence.

iO Tillett Wright (he/him) is a transgender man who was born and raised in NYC and now resides in L.A. He is an artist and activist, TV and podcast host and writer, as well as a close friend of the artist.

Alice Firefly (she/they) is a nonbinary Providence-based artist and activist. She collaborated with Brian Kenny on the creation of this mural.

Shey 'Ri Acu' Rivera Rios (they/them) is a non-binary Providence based artist and activist.

Nielle Taylor (she/her) is a local trans woman.

Nicholas Platzer (he/him) is a straight ally based in Providence and Miami. He is The Avenue Concept's Mural Program Manager and helped shepherd this project to completion. The artist included him in the mural as a tribute to The Avenue Concept's work, but also because he felt strongly about including the idea of allyship in the mural.

The merperson is the Kenny's tribute to local artist and activist Matt Garza (he/they) of the Haus of Glitter Dance Company and Performance Lab.

Snakes were included in the mural as a symbol of human knowledge.

Butterflies were included as a symbol of transformation.

Human teeth were intended as a totem for humankind and as a symbol of the generations who have come before us.

Nautical references are abundant throughout the mural as an ode to the Ocean State and merfolk, which have been embraced by the trans community.

The blue violet is the Rhode Island state flower.

The watermelon and pineapple shirt worn by Nicholas Platzer in this mural is the artist's nod to another Avenue Concept mural, "She Never Came" by BEZT. Platzer also served as the model for the man depicted in that 2015 mural, in which he was depicted wearing a shirt with a similar print.

The transgender symbol stands at the top of center of the wall.

Blue and pink are two of the colors of the trans flag. The artist chose to include them in patterns reminiscent of a lava lamp to represent the idea of gender fluidity.

The bubbles that break the white frame of the mural are meant to symbolize the idea that sometimes gender identity can fall outside the lines in which we think.