Taking the tradition of a public witnessing of a name change, as seen in weddings and christenings, ‘Funeral For My Deadname’ was a formal goodbye to the artist known as Ana Hine as they legally changed their name to Luke ‘Luca’ Cockayne.
This solo exhibition asked the viewer to consider how much we can control our own public narrative and our artistic legacy, as well as the significance of changing your name as a trans person.
The exhibition was also a formal goodbye to feminist arts zine Artificial Womb; including archival documentation, back issues, copies of the final issue, and a continuous screening of the film ‘Zine There Done That’ made in collaboration with filmmaker Fergus Cruickshank.
Asked about the exhibition before the opening event Luca said:
“Visually the main gallery space will show a selection of self-portraits, photographs, publications and other significant art pieces tied to my old, female identity from the last decade or so. On the opening evening I’ll formally sign my new Deed Poll, witnessed by those in attendance, and legally change my name. Doing this as a public performance invites those outside the trans community to witness an action that is often very significant to the individual, but usually conducted privately within the community. I’ll also have spare Deed Poll forms and name changing checklists for anyone who wants to change their name at the same time!”
