Contemporary Art, Identity Politics, and Amy Sherald’s Vision of Freedom | July 25, 2025

After reading about the cancellation of the exhibition American Sublime by Amy Sherald at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery, originally scheduled to open this coming September, I returned to the Whitney Museum of American Art, where the show is currently on view through August 10, to take a closer look at the painting Trans Forming Liberty.

This striking painting depicts a deep gray tone transgender woman posed with power and elegance, styled unmistakably in the likeness of the Statue of Liberty. Dressed in a vibrant cobalt-blue gown with dramatic shoulders and a thigh-high slit, she stands tall against a pastel pink background. Her vivid, curled pink hair adds a theatrical flair while the golden torch, sprouting a bouquet of bright flowers instead of fire, signals a softer, more inclusive vision of enlightenment.

The figure is a clear reimagining of the Statue of Liberty, an iconic symbol of freedom, democracy, and opportunity. Historically, Lady Liberty has welcomed the “huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” as Emma Lazarus famously wrote in her 1883 sonnet “The New Colossus.”  But here, the artist reclaims that promise for those who have been systematically excluded from it, particularly transgender individuals and people of color. By placing a transgender woman in the role of Liberty, the artist offers a compelling challenge to mainstream narratives: liberty belongs to everyone, or it is a false promise.

So, this artwork sparked controversy, reportedly leading to the cancellation of the artist’s upcoming exhibition at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The artist chose to withdraw American Sublime, refusing to comply with what she saw as the institution's censorship or erasure of transgender identity and expression, as well as the museum’s proposed modifications surrounding the presentation of Trans Forming Liberty.  The museum suggested showing the painting alongside a contextual video, which the artist opposed.  As she stated in a letter, “The video would have opened up for debate the value of trans visibility and I was opposed to that being a part of the American Sublime narrative." In a cruel twist of irony, a painting celebrating liberty becomes the object of repression.

This moment raises urgent questions: Who gets to be free? Who gets to define liberty? Who gets to be seen?

In the end, this painting becomes more than a portrait. It becomes a protest. A visual manifesto. And perhaps, a new torch lighting the way toward fuller inclusion and justice.

Written by Cristina Barbedo, curator and owner of LAPINcontemporary.

photos: by Douglas Gilbert