A Thousand Pansies

About A Thousand Pansies 

A Thousand Pansies @a1000pansies is a project started by  Cedre Csillagi, a nonbinary tattoo artist, as a way to raise funds for organizations that support the trans community  and also to show solidarity and pride.  A Thousand Pansies’ goal is to tattoo 1000 pansies, with all proceeds donated directly to organizations supporting trans and non-binary communities. The pansy tattoo is intended to be a symbol of resilience and a marking of love and support, to be worn by allies and community.

Trans and nonbinary people, especially those that are also people of color, have always been a highly vulnerable population.  In the last year, gender nonconformity has become an escalated target of our most extreme political forces, with increasing violence and persecution towards people in this community. Despite this mistreatment, trans people are embracing their true identities and finding joy and kinship through amplification of gender choice as a human right.

A Thousand Pansies strives to increase the resources for marginalized individuals while also celebrating the strength and resilience of trans and nonbinary people and their allies.

About Cedre

As a queer person growing up in the south, Cedre experienced first hand the effects of homophobia, which influenced their choice to seek out and build community in the Bay Area. After the recent legislation attacks on the queer and trans community, they had a vision of creating a tattoo that would be a marking of love, alliance, and protection. They created a custom pansy tattoo design with the vision of spreading this unifying icon throughout the Bay Area and beyond.

Although Cedre is booked until 2025, they will be carving out time monthly to accommodate clients receiving pansy tattoos.

Cedre is one of the founding owners and artists of the female and gender queer shop Diving Swallow Tattoo, opened in 2005, located in Oakland, California. They have been tattooing since 2001, specializing in realistic botanicals and painting duplications. They have taken art classes at the University of North Texas, the Rhode Island School of Design and the San Francisco Art Institute where they graduated in 2001 with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Sculpture.

 Why Pansies?

During the early 1900s, the word “pansy” was meant as a derogatory term, to insult one’s lack of strength or masculinity. The pansy was the flower that would remain associated with the gay community, largely due to the underground drag balls, an era called the “Pansy Craze” which kickstarted a space for queer performers to speak out and resist.

This flower choice is also a gracious nod to the Pansy Project.  Founded by artist Paul Harfleet, The Pansy Project is a movement planting pansies at the sites of homophobic violence in the UK.  Paul states:

“Not only does the word refer to an effeminate or gay man: The name of the flower originates from the French verb; penser (to think), as the bowing head of the flower was seen to visually echo a person in deep thought.”

Who Benefits From 1000 Pansies?

Cedre has chosen The Knights and Orchids Society (TKOS) in Selma, Alabama as the first recipient of A Thousand Pansies. Their mission:

The Knights and Orchids Society, Inc. builds the power of transgender, lesbian, bisexual, and gay Black people across the south by providing a spectrum of health and wellness services. . . Our goal is to help more Black trans, same-gender-loving, and Black queer folks access high-quality primary care and endocrinology services.

You can donate directly to TKOS here. (Any amount is welcome, but you must donate a minimum of $500 to be eligible for a pansy tattoo. See below for more information and instructions)

How Does A Thousand Pansies work?

Cedre has created a custom pansy tattoo design in their unique and exquisite botanical drawing style. You can donate to receive a tattoo yourself, or donate so that others can get the tattoo even if they may not be able to afford it themselves.

To get the tattoo:

1. Email cedre or one of the artists from other states (found on Instagram @a1000pansies on the highlight bubble Tattooers) at athousandpansies@gmail.com to get on their calendar for a pansy.
2. You will need to make your $500 or more tax deductible donation directly to the organization on the date Cedre specifies during your initial email exchange and then upload your receipt here to finalize an appointment. Any dollar amount over $500 will go toward pansy appointments for people who otherwise would not be able to afford them).
3.When making your donation, Please check the box that says “Dedicate my donation in honor or in memory of someone,” and write in “A Thousand Pansies.” For contact name indicate Cedre Csillagi. For contact email, use athousandpansies@gmail.com.

NOTE: Although Cedre is booked until 2025, they will be carving out time monthly to accommodate clients receiving pansy tattoos. Please be patient and if you’d like to get a pansy sooner they can refer you out to the many artists working on pansies now in the bay area.

Don’t want a Pansy tattoo?  Can’t afford one?  You can still get involved!

Donations of any size can be made in honor of A Thousand Pansies and documented in this form.  These donations will help fund a pansy for someone who wants one but can’t afford it.

As donations come in, appointments will be set aside for lower income recipients to receive a pansy on a sliding scale basis. The remainder of the funds will be covered by donations.

Donate to TKOS here.

A Thousand Pansies Artist Contributions

As the project grows, Cedre intends to involve like-minded artists to help increase A Thousand Pansies potential for raising funds and awareness.

Collectively, we will scatter 1,000 pansies, possibly even more, bringing much needed resources, attention, and a strong show of solidarity to this very important cause.

QUESTIONS?

Feel free to contact Cedre more about this project at athousandpansies@gmail.com.

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