Jamie Diaz, a 65-year-old Mexican-American trans woman who has been incarcerated in a men’s prison in Texas for nearly 30 years, continues her fight for freedom and dignity through the art she creates with extremely limited resources. In 2013, Gabriel Joffe, a volunteer with an organization supporting LGBTQ+ prisoners, discovered a letter from Jamie adorned with vibrant artwork and decided to write back. This exchange sparked a deep, years-long friendship. From her prison cell, Jamie produced queer-themed paintings and comics using brushes made from human hair, which Gabriel helped bring to the outside world—eventually leading to an exhibition in a New York gallery.
