When researching the lives of trans monks I was deeply touched by St. Marinos’ life, and so for my last piece I wanted to fully illuminate his life in a style I had seen in 14th century French illuminated manuscripts. I wanted this piece to almost read as a comic strip, with each bubble being a panel that detailed an important moment in his life.

We first have when he decided as a child to shave his hair to join the monastery with his father, we then have the two of them being accepted into the monastery, with no knowledge that Marinos is not biologically male. Then later in life Marinos was accused of getting a local inkeeps daughter pregnant, and instead of revealing his sex, he chooses to keep the baby as his. He is forced to leave the monastery for the next 3 years and he lives in the shepherds fields close by. After his penance is up, him and his son rejoin the monastery where he lives there up until his death, where it is then that he is outed.

I chose in my piece to have the transgender symbols placed prominently, as to avoid any confusion of his life story and who he was. The border had the vines, leaves and berries of a bramble bush, which is one of the symbols he is connected with.