Queer Artist Stories
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
Queer Artist Stories flips the concept of a figure drawing session, where instead of a model, a local queer artist poses and shares their story while attendees sketch them.
Four main topics are covered by the artist
WHO AND WHAT INFLUENCED OR INSPIRED THEIR ART
Technique
Style
Inspiration
Community
1
2
3
4
WHAT THEIR PREFERRED STYLE IS AND HOW THAT HAS EVOLVED
What impact they want their art to have and what impact it has had
What they want to accomplish next and where they see their art going
Meet the artists
IJENNA DURUAKU, WHO ALSO GOES BY CHILDISH SUNSPOT IS A 25-YEAR-OLD BLACK QUEER NONBINARY ARTIST AND COLLEGE GRADUATE OF BMCC (BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.) BY RECENTLY GIVING ART AND THEMSELVES A CHANCE THEY HAVE NOT ONLY COME OUT AS QUEER AND NONBINARY BUT ALSO AS AN ARTIST THIS WAS DRIVEN BY THEIR ATTEMPT TO FIND BELONGING IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR INNER CHILD. THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE THAT LITTLE INDIVIDUAL INSIDE HAPPY AND FREE, THE WAY THEY ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
Ijenna Duruaku: painter, poet, ink artist
Ijenna Duruaku
they / them / she / her / he / him
series 006
WILL COLEMAN IS A CHEF, TV PERSONALITY, FOOD WRITER, AND FOOD STYLIST THAT IS INSPIRED BY CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AND ADDING A SPARK OF DIVERSITY, ADVENTURE, AND JOYFULNESS ON AND OFF THE SCREEN. FOCUSING ON INFUSING AMERICAN CUISINES WITH SOUTHERN AND GLOBAL AVENUES. BASED IN BROOKLYN, NY, WILL SPENDS TIME EXPERIENCING AND WRITING ABOUT ALL THINGS FOOD AND CULTURE. BESIDES BEING OBSESSED WITH JENI’S ICE CREAM, HE’S AN ADVOCATE FOR FLAKY SALT AND HOT SAUCE ON ALMOST EVERYTHING.
Will Coleman: chef, tv personality, food writer and stylist
Will Coleman
HE / HIM / HIS
series 005
Camila is a self-taught ceramic artist based in Gainesville, Florida. While primarily ceramic based, their work also integrates sculpture, drawing, and painting in interdisciplinary ways. She mainly focuses on representational art, drawing inspiration from her own heritage and identity. They use their art as a means of exploring belonging in a queer and multi ethnic community.
Camila Lim-Hing: ceramic artist, sculpter, painter
Camila Lim-Hing
she / they
series 004
Lex Barberio is a multidisciplinary award winning creative who uses their talents in both the fine art and advertising fields. They currently work as a Sr. Art Director at VaynerMedia and made their artistic debut in NYC during their solo exhibition of “The Ambisextrous” at World Pride. They have since garnered attention for her work from brands, influencers, museums, galleries, and publications nationally and internationally.
Lex Barberio: photographer, artist, storyteller
Lex Barberio
THEY / THEM
series 003
ARIEL DE SOUZA IS A BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN ARTIST
WHOSE PRACTICE IS AN AMALGAMATION OF EXPLORATIONS ON
ATYPICAL RELATIONSHIPS
THE HIDDEN WEIGHT IN OBJECTS AND SYMBOLS
QUEER WORLDS
VULNERABILITY
GENDER PLAY AND CHILDHOOD.
Ariel Caetano de Souza: painter, photographer, poet
Ariel Caetano de Souza
HE / HIM / THEY / THEM
series 002
Matías (b. 1997) is a New York based artist, community organizer and activist, originally from Chile. He explores themes of identity, human connection, gender and sexuality. His interest lies with capturing the universality of the queer youth experience, chronicling young adulthood through his drawings, paintings and photographs. His work is often characterized by surrealist elements, rich detail, and personal and historical symbolism. His first gallery debut was in Albert Merola Gallery in Provincetown, MA.
Matías Alvial: artist, community organizer, activist
Matías Alvial
he / him
series 001
Queer Artist Stories
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST
HAS A COMPELLING STORY
Queer Artist Stories flips the concept of a figure drawing session, where instead of a model, a local queer artist poses and shares their story while attendees sketch them.
Four main topics are covered
by the artist
WHO AND WHAT INFLUENCED OR
INSPIRED THEIR ART
Technique
1
WHAT THEIR PREFERRED STYLE IS
AND HOW THAT HAS EVOLVED
Style
2
WHAT IMPACT THEY WANT THEIR ART TO HAVE
AND WHAT IMPACT IT HAS HAD
Community
3
WHAT THEY WANT TO ACCOMPLISH NEXT
AND WHERE THEY SEE THEIR ART GOING
Inspiration
4
Meet the artists
Ijenna Duruaku
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
THEY / THEM / SHE / HER / HE / HIM
SERIES 006
Painter, Poet, Ink artist
IJENNA DURUAKU, WHO ALSO GOES BY CHILDISH SUNSPOT IS A 25-YEAR-OLD BLACK QUEER NONBINARY ARTIST AND COLLEGE GRADUATE OF BMCC (BOROUGH OF MANHATTAN COMMUNITY COLLEGE.) BY RECENTLY GIVING ART AND THEMSELVES A CHANCE THEY HAVE NOT ONLY COME OUT AS QUEER AND NONBINARY BUT ALSO AS AN ARTIST THIS WAS DRIVEN BY THEIR ATTEMPT TO FIND BELONGING IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR INNER CHILD. THEIR GOAL IS TO MAKE THAT LITTLE INDIVIDUAL INSIDE HAPPY AND FREE, THE WAY THEY ALWAYS SHOULD HAVE BEEN.
Will Coleman
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
HE / Him / his
SERIES 005
Chef, TV personality, Food writer and stylist
WILL COLEMAN IS A CHEF, TV PERSONALITY, FOOD WRITER, AND FOOD STYLIST THAT IS INSPIRED BY CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE AND ADDING A SPARK OF DIVERSITY, ADVENTURE, AND JOYFULNESS ON AND OFF THE SCREEN. FOCUSING ON INFUSING AMERICAN CUISINES WITH SOUTHERN AND GLOBAL AVENUES. BASED IN BROOKLYN, NY, WILL SPENDS TIME EXPERIENCING AND WRITING ABOUT ALL THINGS FOOD AND CULTURE. BESIDES BEING OBSESSED WITH JENI’S ICE CREAM, HE’S AN ADVOCATE FOR FLAKY SALT AND HOT SAUCE ON ALMOST EVERYTHING.
Camila Lim-Hing
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
SHE / THEY
SERIES 004
Ceramic artist/ Sculpter/
Painter
CAMILA IS A SELF-TAUGHT CERAMIC ARTIST BASED IN GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA. WHILE PRIMARILY CERAMIC BASED, THEIR WORK ALSO INTEGRATES SCULPTURE, DRAWING, AND PAINTING IN INTERDISCIPLINARY WAYS. SHE MAINLY FOCUSES ON REPRESENTATIONAL ART, DRAWING INSPIRATION FROM HER OWN HERITAGE AND IDENTITY. THEY USE THEIR ART AS A MEANS OF EXPLORING BELONGING IN A QUEER AND MULTI ETHNIC COMMUNITY.
Lex Barberio
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
THEY / THEm
SERIES 003
Photographer/ Artist/
Storyteller
LEX BARBERIO IS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY AWARD WINNING CREATIVE WHO USES THEIR TALENTS IN BOTH THE FINE ART AND ADVERTISING FIELDS. THEY CURRENTLY WORK AS A SR. ART DIRECTOR AT VAYNERMEDIA AND MADE THEIR ARTISTIC DEBUT IN NYC DURING THEIR SOLO EXHIBITION OF “THE AMBISEXTROUS” AT WORLD PRIDE. THEY HAVE SINCE GARNERED ATTENTION FOR HER WORK FROM BRANDS, INFLUENCERS, MUSEUMS, GALLERIES, AND PUBLICATIONS NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
Ariel Caetano de Souza
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
HE / HIM / THEY / THEM
SERIES 002
Photographer/ Artist/
Storyteller
ARIEL DE SOUZA IS A BRAZILIAN-AMERICAN ARTIST WHOSE PRACTICE IS AN AMALGAMATION OF EXPLORATIONS ON ATYPICAL RELATIONSHIPS THE HIDDEN WEIGHT IN OBJECTS AND SYMBOLS QUEER WORLDS VULNERABILITY GENDER PLAY AND CHILDHOOD.
Matías Alvial
CREATED ON THE BELIEF THAT EVERY LGBTQ+ ARTIST HAS A COMPELLING STORY
HE / HIM
SERIES 001
