Promotional poster for the Queer & Ally Group Expo, featuring a black and white portrait of a person wearing rainbow-colored tape over their eyes, with event dates June 19 to August 13, 2025, at Citadel 22, Alemere, and the tagline 'Colors of Us More Than a Label' by Karla King.

It is a series of portrait artworks and accompanying interviews celebrating the complexity of queer identity. In this collection, I feature vibrant archival prints based on conversations with three artists: Shanella Bleecke, PXRPLE JAZZ, and Missy. Each portrait tells a story informed by their experience, values, challenges, and self-expression beyond queerness.

Carried by my belief that every person is so much more than one word, this series invites viewers to explore what happens when we look past labels: we see creativity, compassion, vulnerability, humor, resistance, and joy. Whether someone is flamboyant, reserved, bold, or tender, they all deserve to be seen fully.

This collection is a love letter to the LGBTQIA+ community: a reminder that we are not defined by stereotypes or expectations, and that our identities are layered and dynamic. Here, each portrait and story stands on its own—and together, they form a chorus of queer lives lived authentically.

“MORE THAN A LABEL”  IS A VISUAL EXPLORATION OF IDENTITY AND A CELEBRATION OF QUEER INDIVIDUALS IN THEIR FULL HUMANITY.

Click through to read each their stories… and meet the humanity beyond the label.