In December 2023, Teresa Margolles – an internationally renowned artist – sought imprints of the faces of trans and non-binary people from Mexico and the UK for a sculpture to be placed on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square as a show of resilience and humanity from trans and non- binary communities.
Katie Neeves, founder of Cool2BTrans, an organisation which seeks to support and empower the trans community and raise awareness, is one of 726 faces which make up “Mil Veces un Instante” (A Thousand Times in an Instant) which has been unveiled in Trafalgar Square.
The sculpture, which will sit on the Fourth Plinth in the square for two years, is said to be a statement against transmisogyny and transfemicide and includes the faces of living trans people from the UK and Ms Margolles’ native Mexico.
Katie Neeves said: “Having a plaster cast made of my face was a both surreal and painful experience.
“Despite the pain involved, I am both proud and honoured to have been given the opportunity to take part in the creation of this important piece of art.
“While the murder rate of trans people in the UK is (thankfully) not as high as in Mexico, hostility towards trans people remains at an all-time high.”
Neeves, who came out publicly as being transgender in 2018, added: “I hope this powerful sculpture will serve as a sobering reminder of how badly transgender people are being treated in the UK, in Mexico and worldwide.
“We are not a threat to anyone, and we don’t deserve to be treated this way.
“Trans people are just ordinary people who want to be happy.”