012. Claude Cahun

Art as Identity, Activism as Survival: The Life of Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun (French, 1894-1954). Self-portrait (reflected image in mirror with chequered jacket), 1927, Silver gelatin print.

Introduction

*A note on pronouns: Various records and articles referencing Claude use she/her and they/them pronouns. Claude primarily used she/her pronouns in their native French language, as gender-neutral pronouns did not exist in French at the time. However, throughout their life and work, Claude frequently rejected binary gender labels and described their identity as existing beyond male or female. Pride Palette has chosen to use they/them pronouns in English, as these are the pronouns most aligned with the way Claude understood and expressed their own gender.

Claude Cahun was more than just an artist; they were a revolutionary thinker, a writer, a photographer, and an activist whose work continues to challenge perceptions of gender, identity, and self-expression. Born in 1894, Cahun rejected societal norms long before such defiance was widely accepted. Thro…