‘Rebel With A Cause’ an exhibit by Bianca Beers

Bianca Beer's first solo exhibit, supported by Microsoft, is an inclusive-driven exhibit celebrating people and their stories. The exhibit springs from Bianca's love of individuality, character and expression, and her longing to bring people together in love and understanding — Implementing augmented reality (AR) in the visual and audio realms, the exhibit features portraits of friends and colleagues of varying ages, genders, ethnicities, sexualities, beliefs, backgrounds and lifestyles in the hopes of celebrating those differences while also illustrating the similarities of the human experience.

All artworks, including their AR components, are now available to purchase with a portion of proceeds donated to Reach Foundation, an organisation that provides personal development workshops to support and empower young people. Contact for artwork prices and information.

LILIAN

Who are you………. My name is Flex but sometimes people call me by the name my mother blessed me with when I waddled out of her birth canal, Lil. 

Do you have a favourite book………. Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself. Not that I often reference it but it definitely was instrumental in my development. It taught me about the archetypes most people can fall in to, how it affects their behaviour, their perception of the world and their perception of you. It was beyond insightful at the time and helped me perceive identity as more than just the clothes I wore or the way I styled my hair. 

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. I rarely cook now but I often think of this chicken schnitzel and mash potato combo that my childhood bestfriend’s Mum made for dinner. So yum. 

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. By being visually and sonically loud. Drawing peoples eyes to me BY FORCE with how I look, but more importantly, what I say. 

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. I live in a political body that has drama ascribed to it more often than I’d care to discuss. If it’s not my blackness, it’s my weight, my gender, my gap tooth or my experience as a Ghanaian-Australian. Prejudice is a given and I overcome by no longer trying to actively subvert the stereotypes of how I’m perceived. It’s too tiring. I can’t fight everyone to prove to everyone that being a black woman isn’t a handicap or a secret weapon, it’s just my experience. That is a personal win. 

What message would you send to your younger self if you could……….. Stop spending more time theorising about which celebrity you’d date than studying literally anything else that matters. Apply yourself. Try. Really hard. 

JC

Who are you………. I am Jacques-Claude Sader, I’m a proud Australia-born Lebanese hair and make up artist living in Toronto Canada. I fly back and forth from LA to work with makeup and fashion brands and host events that help bring more diversity and awareness to this world and make a difference. I aim to showcase masculinity and femininity, to help educate the world and particularly ethnic families that it’s okay to be different. Coming from a middle eastern background, it’s not easy to be authentically you, so I try to impact people and bring awareness where I can.

Where is your favourite place in the world………. This is a hard one. My favourite places are anywhere I feel comfortable and able to be myself with loved ones. Particularly in LA, in fantasy mode when hosting and creating looks and whenever I’m by my mums side, she’s my ride or die (she’s crazy and will throw hands if I need her to)! 

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. Fun fact about me I actually studied as a chef! So I love to cook pasta, it’s one of those meals I can never get sick of. But I definitely miss my mum’s Lebanese cooking!

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. By being true to who I am and expressing myself through fashion, makeup, the way I hold myself and the conversations I have. I always try to impact the people I interact with in whatever way I can. Expressing myself by being both masculine and feminine brings me so much joy and happiness. 

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. In life I have experienced a lot, I use it as fuel to express and show love and to teach. Luckily I’m very strong and confident but for those who aren’t, what helped me was always telling myself that I was special and important even if I didn’t believe it. I was always taught that people project onto you, they don’t know better, so I make it my job to help people learn.

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Life will test you but as long as you know it loves you, nothing can stop you. You are perfect as you are and life will present you with amazing opportunities if you just be your authentic self!

MAGNUS

Who are you………. I am Magnus Juliano, He/Him.

What is your favourite colour………. Holographic or Sea Green/Sea Foam

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. Baked Macaroni and Cheese 

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. By creating.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. I experience prejudice every day. I fight back by waking up, by existing.

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Don’t be so hard on yourself.

ROWI

Who are you………. My name’s Rowi and I’m a content creator specialising in artistic makeup. I use my socials as a vehicle for self-expression, and a way for me to connect with my global audience. 

Do you have a favourite film………. Isle of dogs is incredible. Any Wes Anderson or Tarantino film actually. 

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. My mum's home cooked Indian fish curry. 

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. Through colour and culture mostly. My self-expression is a fusion of my lived experiences, heritage and an abstract aesthetic. It's about feeling strong yet comfortable in this provided skin suit. 

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. Unfortunately it’s an ongoing battle, especially being one of few women of colour in the Australian beauty sphere. It helps to have a strong sense of self; to never let it affect you personally. In fact every injustice I experience is more fuel to keep going in this industry. To keep proving people wrong and succeeding nonetheless. I've had to deal with both external and internalised racism (for example, a PR brand manager told me, to my face, they don't work with 'coloured people'. And yes, she said that verbatim). I do feel things are slowly moving in a better direction and I'm happy to be a part of the change. 

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Stop caring about what others think! Oh, and ditch that mouldy ass Baby G watch sis. 

CHARLES

Who are you………. I am Charles All Blue, a two year old child of Instagram. It took me seventy-five years to get here, twenty-five years of teaching college Art History, twenty- five years of doing performance and writing and directing plays, and almost twenty years at the Strand Bookstore treasure of used books. I also worked at six museums and travelled to twenty countries, including Brazil, Cuba, Morocco and Uzbekistan. Now I am traveling to Australia for my greatest adventure – being seen in augmented reality with Bianca’s artwork!

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. A Sunday morning Basil Mozzarella Omelette. It starts when my girlfriend Annette brings over the cut Basil for me to smell. It continues in looking at the beautiful yellow colour of the omelette, and tasting the texture of the mozzarella. It ends with the tart sweetness of orange marmalade on a muffin. If you can cook, make her something she likes the next time. If you can’t, do the dishes. And bring home a lemon tart, one with a strong zest taste. Bring it out as a surprise at the end of the meal. And take her out to dinner. It’s not as good as a home-cooked meal, but home cooks are curious about the techniques of others. And maybe next Sunday pomegranates will be added to your omelette, to the delight of you both. “Pomegranates”, she’ll say, “For years something was missing, now I know what it was. Thank you. But you really should learn how to cook.”

How do you choose to express yourself in this world……….  I used to express myself through letters, performances and plays. Now I express myself through my clothes and IG. I write long captions to my posts, and I often comment to other people or DM them. For me, IG is as much about words as it is about images. Both are ways of learning about other people. I can hear from other people half-way around the world within seconds. Time and space disappear. At first I wanted to understand the ideas of others. Now I want to collaborate and create with them. I’m just beginning to enter this world.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. I have not experienced prejudice directly, not in the way people of colour, women and LGBTQ people have. I am an old straight white male, who has been welcomed to a young IG. I’ve learned about prejudice in more indirect ways; A half century ago I went to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union, with the Anti-Communist views of the day, when I came to Yugoslavia I was surprised to see children sledding in the snow. I thought they would be grimly marching in heavy boots. It seems ridiculous now, children are children everywhere. In the Soviet Union I received great generosity. I was the first American Russians had seen but if I praised someone’s pin, they took it off and gave it to me.

Forty years ago I worked in an after school program in East Harlem. One day I took the children swimming there; a large turquoise pool full of brown and black bodies. I looked at my whiteness and was ashamed. I had no colour. Then I thought “No, I have colour. It is just lighter.” Maybe that is something of what prejudice can do; feeling thoughts of inferiority in your mind. Maybe people saw me differently too. After a while I was more than just another long haired, drug-crazed hippy. I was someone who took their children to museums, they loved art very much. One child proudly showed me a piece he took home. I told him I was happy he liked it, but if everyone took what they liked, there wouldn’t be anything left for others to see.

Ten years ago I went to Brazil. Our teacher Danny Dawson introduced us to his friend to whom I mentioned an idea I had read about. The idea stated that racial background was less important in Brazil than in the U.S. as everyone had blended with everyone else; origins were unimportant. This attitude was called The Golden Mixture. Danny’s friend told me this idea was very dangerous; the truth is the darker you are in Brazil, the poorer you are; the more people believe in the Golden Mixture, the less changes will be made to achieve financial equality. I told Danny his friend was very interesting. Danny said I’m glad you enjoyed talking to him, he is the head of Race Relations for the country of Brazil. 

These experiences have left me with perspective. I hope I see the world as many individuals, not members of groups with general characteristics. And have a sense of humour. Recently I complained to Kid Super about his upcoming comic book as I was portrayed as a shrunken old man with thick glasses. Kid Super said he was surprised I took my avatar so seriously. He was right. It was just a comic book. Be glad you are in it. Enjoy the world. LOL, as they say on the street. AND LIGHTEN THE F UP!

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Keep dancing. If you wear beautiful clothes, you will delight people’s eyes. If you write clear words, you will please their minds. But if you keep dancing, you will move their hearts. I have danced the Sun Dance on the equator in Ecuador and the Samba in Rio’s greatest Samba Club. If you get it wrong and are sincere, people will teach you. And show you warmth for trying to learn their culture. At the recital of the National Ballet School in Havana, the male lead fell down. When he got up and continued, the audience cheered. At the end, his ovation was greater than that of the star ballerina. She was perfect, but he was brave. In time he would become perfect too. Keep dancing until all you can do is move your hand and hear the music in your head.

CAMPBELL

Who are you………. I'm Cam and my favourite things to do are draw and talk, often at the same time.

Do you have an all-time favourite artist………. Hard to say, but it would probably be a 3-way tie between Dr Seuss, Matt Groening, and Steve-O (not for art, I just love his passion for life).

What’s your favourite home-cooked meal………. My fiance Felicity makes these crazy good arancini balls which I'd happily eat as my last meal. My mum also does this roast eggplant that makes me feel at home. And of my own cooking, I just like making a simple pasta with red sauce.

How do you express yourself in this world……….. A couple of ways. Sometimes it's through comics - single panel comics that don't really following too much of a format, and borrow elements from comics, art and meme culture. Other times it's through animation (when the idea can't be expressed in one panel). Sometimes I express myself through filmmaking and other times through podcasts. All this I express online.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice throughout your life………. First and foremost I'm demographically blessed: straight white male born into a rich country. I won the lottery. That said, I'm also a child abuse survivor who was raised by a single mum. Mum did a cracking job by the way - absolute top lady! Any adversity I faced was less about prejudice and more about a turbulent upbringing - which, again, I acknowledge is a comparative walk in the park. I suspect it was trauma that guided me into a life of being an outcast, getting bullied, and heavy drug abuse. I've overcome this by getting healthy and embracing my weirdness. I do this by making things for other freaks like me. It gets me further than fitting in ever could and I have learned to love myself and so many people tell me every day they find love in what I do too.

What message would you send to your younger self if you could……….. I'd say: Please exhale. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. Read more books, listen more than you talk, and express true pain when you create. 10% of people will hate you for trying anything, but they will all die angry so you can laugh at them for building their own prisons. The majority of people are kind and supportive and full of love and you should acknowledge them often. Make a big deal over people's birthdays and travel as much as your money allows. Also, go on more boats. Boats are sick.

MOYAGABI

Who are you………. My name is Yabi. A masterpiece trying to master peace. If you forget my name, always remember You Are Beautiful Inside. I am a first generation African American. I’m a photographer, creative director, visionary, brand ambassador and professional model. I’m the type of person that people tell their secrets to and I’ll keep it till the end of me. If you’re ever in a bad mood, I will be the one to brighten up your day. It’s always hard to define who you are. I’m the type of person that likes to show it through my actions. I’m still trying to find out who I am but I know if you open up my aura, you would see how colorful I am on the inside as it displays on the outside.

Where is your favourite place in the world……….  I find this difficult to answer, as I’m sure you do when you get this question, because each place has its own special meaning and beauty. Going on my first cruise to the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos would be my favorite place. Despite heading to these lovely islands, the journey itself was truly magical. I can still remember it so vividly. The feeling of seeing the sunrise and sunset along side a beautiful clear blue sea is indescribable. The peace and quiet on the ocean was so serene it makes you appreciate the little things Mother Nature has to offer in her world. It seems like it just couldn’t be real to capture such a beautiful sight with your naked eyes.

What is your favourite home-cooked meal………. Definitely my Ivorian dish Attiéké! Attiéké, a side-dish from the Côte d'Ivoire cuisine in Africa. My mother loves to make Attiéké with Half-Jerk-Half-Cajun chicken, topped with a sauce made from chopped tomatoes, peppers, onions and cucumbers. Every time I chow down on Attiéké, I automatically break into my happy dance from the goodness I’m receiving!

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. Growing up as a First Generation African American, my mother always asked me “How do you want the world to remember you when you’re done?”. That simple question has always stayed with me, because no matter how educated, talented, rich or cool you believe you are, how you treat people ultimately tells all. I want to be an individual that lifts people’s spirits and motivates them to be the best version of themselves they can be.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice……… As a black man, it’s crazy how the outside world has so many judgements of you without even speaking a word with you. The stop and stares, the scolds, the automatic clutch of a purse. Before I became a model, I was a Track & Field athlete. I remember in High School I used to be singled out for the “Stop and Frisk” procedure by authorities because I always looked “similar to a perpetrator they’re looking for”. Now imagine receiving that same procedure every day before going to school, before going to practice and heading home. I will never forget my first trip to Germany. I just hated how everyone looked at me like I was a strange statue in a museum. One thing I will always remember is that at the end of the day, you define who you are through your actions and the way you carry yourself. The skin I’m in is immaculate, and I will never let anyone nor their negativity take that from me.

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Everyone fails at being who they think they’re supposed to be. Success is being who you truly are. Apply pressure and you’ll accomplish your goals. Rise like the sun, shine like the stars!

ISABELLA

Who are you……….. My name is Isabella Mamas, I’m a Sydney based fashion stylist. I’m a Capricorn, and can’t go a week without sushi.

Do you have a favourite colour……….. I’m a big fan of colour in general so it’s really hard to narrow down, but I think I’d have to say pink, it always makes me smile. 

What’s your favourite home-cooked meal………. Wild but my mum does a crazy polenta dish with like 8 cheeses and mushrooms, she’s a bloody talent!

How do you express yourself in this world………. Through my clothing, and through my writing. My clothing is more something for people to interpret however my writing is more a personal expression. 

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. I’m young in an industry that doesn’t see people succeeding until they have passed a certain age and level of experience, and that somewhat looks down on fresh eager faces. I started when I was 15, and people despised that but all I wanted to do was be part of the wonderful world that is fashion. I think we need to embrace the next generation and not hate the fact that that was once us, by joining together you’ll have a force that surpasses your wildest dreams. 

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Don’t rush, don’t compare, & don’t stress the little things. Stay true to yourself and everything else just falls into place. It may take some time but it’s worth it in the end. Also, that person teasing your outfit will ask to borrow it within the year. Trust me.

ANGELA

Who are you………. I’m Ange! I’m a Capricorn! I’m a queer POC.

What inspires you……….. My girlfriends. There’s truly nothing stronger, more inspirational and more nurturing than female friendship. 

What’s your favourite home-cooked meal………… I make a good gnocchi! With burnt butter & sage baby!

How do you express yourself in this world………. I express myself with authenticity and embracing my juxtaposing interests. Don’t be bogged down by this notion of identity and what’s expected of you. When I realised I can be tatted up, have a mullet and listen to Broadway musicals, that’s when I found true happiness. I love Defying Gravity from Wicked the Musical, sue me!

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice throughout your life………. I’ve experienced plenty of prejudice – from my Korean heritage, my sexuality, my gender. Additionally, I’m a very determined person, so I’ve had plenty of run ins with various people in my life. My way to overcome prejudice is to not accept their behaviour or ideology, to prove them wrong and actually put it back onto them. Challenge them. Why is my heritage, my sexuality, my gender, my physical appearance a threat to you? Most of the time their prejudice is more on them than on you!

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Be unapologetically you.

PATRICK

Who are you………. My name is Patrick “Paddy” Cornwall and I am a person in the world. It’s a big ol’ chicken world out there. Some friends call me the chicken man and I like that a lot. Others think I’m a total wanker and they’re probably not wrong. I’m best known for my work with Sticky Fingers. My best friend Nelson calls me ‘the social chef’. He reckons while a lot of people see me as an artist my true talent is in bringing people together. I like that a lot. 

What inspires you………. I don’t wanna die! There’s too much to do, and not a lot of time. I tend to throw my head & heart into all kindsa different situations based off impulse & feeling. I get ma-self all worked up into a frenzy of ‘QUICK, QUICK, QUICK. EVERYTHINGS GOTTA HAPPEN RIGHT NOW’. Mad things have happened in all senses. The blurst of times I believe they call that. I have certain regrets like most of us do. On the flip, I have never been bored.

What’s your favourite home cooked meal………. Most of my life over the past decade has been on the road. Which has made any kind of home cooked meal a real thing of beauty. Me Mum’s cooking is the best. Ask any kid from the inner west. They’ll tell ya I’m an only child, but my mum Ali is known as ‘the mum of the innerwest.’ She looks after a lot of people. Pays attention and gives love and time to those who need it. She’s also a nurse by trade. Sometimes she tells me she’s tired of it. I ask ‘Why don’t you quit?’ … ‘I can’t’ … ‘Why?’ … ‘because I am fucking good at it.’

One time my mum and I got really bent together. I told her how sad it would be if, for whatever reason she wasn’t around anymore and nobody would get to experience her fantastic cooking. She gave me a hand written cook book of her recipes for Christmas in response. It was quite a while ago and I still haven’t used it. She aint going no place fast. She’s too busy drinking you under the table. I love you Mum.

How do you express yourself in this world………. I am very honest with my emotions however I never let the truth get in the way of a good story. It’s not so much lying as it is leaving out the bits that make it all less exciting. Kinda like editing a film. I love story telling. Be it through song, film, or a drunken ramble at the boozer. I feel as though I’m really good at making people feel good. Unfortunately it’s become apparent I’m really good at doing the opposite also. Really making an effort to push the anger I’ve learnt into my craft. I wanna keep my soul as sweet as possible. I wanna be a person people feel like they can rely on. I hate letting my loved ones down.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice throughout your life………. I’ve had some really nasty false allegations thrown at me and my bandmates over the past couple years. A lot of that really hurt. And led to being ‘cancelled’ from the music industry. Removed from festivals and blacklisted from the radio. We’re still selling out arenas as a 100% independent operation with all original members though. 

I think a lot of those people ‘casting asparagus’ (I like to call it) are only jealous.  Never fully understood that though. Whenever I get jealous I tend to use that as a tool of inspiration rather than spending my energy on putting somebody down/ taking somebody out. I’ve had issues with anger over the years. ’N still not convinced being diagnosed with ‘bipolar type 1’ has helped. I hate it when people try and use that against you with lines like ‘I’ll talk to you when you’re back on your meds bro’. I’ve tried 5 different medications, all of which have either made me entirely lose my lust for life/creative drive or have intensified how I feel, be it good or bad. I’ve learnt a lot over the past couple of years about picking my battles. Knowing when it’s time to put the breaks on and rest. 

Killing with kindness is the best way. I’m far from perfect. And yes, some things change. But some things? I hope they never will!

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. Nothing. He wouldn’t listen. Stubborn-little-bastard. However I wouldn’t mind getting some advise from him to be honest. He knew everything. I know nothing.

IMBAR

Who are you………. My name is Imbar, I dentify as they/them and I’m a young creative settled on Eora Land. 

Do you have a role model………. I don’t really have a role model... in the past I’ve picked up some pretty toxic thought patterns by comparing myself to others so I try and avoid wanting to be like anyone else too much. I definitely still deeply admire people and am frequently inspired to better myself by observing those around me, but I wouldn’t want to call any people my ‘role model’ unless I called them all my ‘role model’, y’know ?? 

What is your favourite home-cooked meal……… I make a phenomenal yellow curry and it hits the spot EvErY time ~*~*~*~

How do you choose to express yourself in this world………. I’m all about authentic expression. Trying to live my life through honouring what feels good, trusting my intuition and speaking my truth. On top of that I’m a musician and so I guess I authentically express myself through music. It’s everything to me.

How have you experienced and overcome prejudice………. I ‘m exposed to toxic bullshit every day, being a genderqueer person with a platform means I’m a pretty easy target for transphobic douche bags. HOWEVER, I choose focus on joy and gratitude, giving as little energy as possible (if any) to the prejudice. I also speak up whenever I can, using my platform to raise awareness and attending all protests/rallies that I’m able to.

What message would you send to your younger self if you could………. I would hold them close, really squeeze them and tell them how proud I am of how they held it down. I would remind them that it will all be worth it. I would assure them that they are special, powerful and deserving of their dreams. I would also remind them that I love them.