Artwork is a medium through which ordinary lives and faces can be stylized into aesthetic representations. But all too often, the unique experiences embodied by QPOCs are absent or erased from mainstream art, due to the multi-layered otherness of QPOC identities. Using QPOCs as his artwork’s centerpieces, Queens-based artist Mojuicy helps address this void by depicting QPOCs performing every day activities like sitting on the stoop or sharing intimate moments with a partner at home. The characters in Mojuicy’s work help remind us that despite our unique community and experiences, our daily lives as loving, caring, living human beings are also worthy of artistic attention.
Mojuicy, the pseudonym for illustrator Mohammad Fayaz, depicts QPOCs spanning various cultures, religions, and sexualities. A native of NY and a self-taught artist, the diversity depicted in his artwork reflects the same diversity that one can find in the streets of New York City. The bright colors he uses in much of his work help allude to the vibrancy in his characters’ seemingly mundane activities. Additionally, some of his pieces are overlain with text that affirms self-love as well as positive communication within queer couples. Check out examples of Mojuicy’s work at http://www.mohammedfayaz.com/work.