Xelestial Moreno-Luz | Asserting agency in transgender visual culture
“I have so many negatives to scan still,” says Xelestial Moreno-Luz, a visual arts MFA student, as she flips through dozens of contact sheets.
As a photographer and filmmaker, Moreno-Luz travels frequently to document the art and cultural movements of trans/travesti communities in Latin America. While “travesti” is sometimes translated as “transgender woman,” in Latin America the term denotes a distinct political identity tied to movements resisting state violence and advocating for trans and gender-diverse rights.
Through her images, Moreno-Luz seeks to reframe how transgender communities are portrayed and how their knowledge is reproduced. One area of focus includes members of the House and Ballroom scene, an LGBTQ+ subculture in Mexico City where participants form chosen families called houses. Within these houses, members receive mentorship, performance training, protection from violence and emotional support.
Also a filmmaker, Moreno-Luz is producing a film about Natalia Lane, a Mexican trans activist and sex worker who survived a violent attack in 2022 widely reported as an attempted transfemicide. As a precursor to this work, Moreno-Luz created a short film about Lane titled “No estás solas,” which was awarded first place in the documentary category at the 2025 UC San Diego Film Festival.
“My ultimate goal is to expand the way artists and cultural workers within trans travesti communities are seen in visual culture,” Moreno-Luz said. “I’m creating an archive — documenting art, culture and social movements.”