FREE ZHI KAI!

Kai the Hyena

Zhi-Kai Hoffman Vanderford and Chaco Iwase

Fleece, Faux Fur, Felt, Lash Extensions, Aluminum, Velcro, Plastic
Head to Toe: 17″ | Snout to Tail: 21″

Kai the Hyena is a collaborative art project between Zhi Kai Vanderford and Chaco Iwase. Since September 2023, we have shared drawings, letters, and emails on JPay (a privately held information technology monopoly) sharing our artistic interests and personal lives. Kai the Hyena was conceived when we discussed gender transitions of the tropical fish of his artwork, Androgyny Not an Anomaly.

We imagined a “touchable and cuddly” stuffed animal of a spotted hyena. Female spotted hyenas have 3 times as much testosterone as the males, “mating and giving birth through a pendulous penis-like clitoris.” Zhi Kai describes, “A female hyena is a perfect mascot for trans males because they are born with a pseudo-penis and scrotal sack that retract themselves.” Moreover, the Minnesota Department of Corrections has ignored Zhi Kai’s requests for bottom surgery, making him feel vulnerable and unsafe in the men’s facility.

This is a drawing that Zhi Kai sent in a letter on Nov 30, 2023 of a Striped Hyena. We were debating between a striped and spotted hyena— Zhi Kai was worried that Lion King made people think that spotted hyenas were evil and ugly. Female striped hyenas do not have pseudo-phalluses, so we decided to stick with the spotted hyenas. I maintained the same concept in this illustration with spots instead of stripes.
These are character sketches from Zhi Kai received on March 12, 2024.

Zhi Kai described a leather vest, silky boxers, a mohawk, a goatee, and ear piercings. His favorite color is purple, a mix of blue and pink or being a “boyish” and “girlish.” In addition to the detachable penis, we included the strap-on because as Zhi Kai says, “Not everyone can afford or desires surgery. It is scary to risk all sexual sensations in an attempt to have different-looking genitalia. Strapping on appendages may be a nonsurgical option. I would like to see better trans male tools (urination devices, binders, etc.) in our collective futures.”

Satin, Leather

Kai the Hyena is a soft embodiment of Zhi Kai, who will hopefully connect with a sympathetic audience who can advocate for his freedom. A puppet of Kai the Hyena is in the making, and we plan to film Kai describing his experiences in the Minnesota State Zoo.

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