A familiar masterpiece, seen anew
Photographer and musician Smiles Meyer is bringing fresh perspectives to religious imagery through work that explores gender, creativity and belonging. In 2024, the Los Angeles-based artist staged "The First Gathering," a reimagining of Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper" featuring trans models.
Raised in the Catholic Church, Meyer draws on the visual language of religious tradition to consider how ideas of divinity can be understood beyond familiar representations. The work reflects the artist's view that creativity and the power to shape identity are not limited to a single figure or institution, but can be found within people themselves.
Photography became Meyer's main creative medium in 2018. Early on, they cut and rearranged printed photographs into collages to tell stories that felt difficult to express in words. The practice developed into a photography career spanning nearly a decade. The artist has also credited philosopher Judith Butler's writing with informing their thinking about trans identity and creative power.
By placing trans people within an iconic composition, Meyer's work invites audiences to reconsider who is represented in cultural traditions. Such reinterpretations may help broaden how future generations encounter and understand canonical art.
