Unleashing the Power of Queer Art: Beautiful Forms Break Free with Bia Ferreira and Lama El Homaïssi

The Beautiful Forms: Queer Art Unbound festival was presented by the Artistic Freedom Initiative in October. The festival showcased the talents of international artists who have faced persecution or censorship due to their queer identities. Two of the featured artists were Bia Ferreira, a Brazilian singer and composer known for addressing important social issues, and Lama El Homaïssi, an actor, singer, and writer whose work often focuses on the LGBTQIA+ community. In this interview, Lama discusses their experiences engaging with the diaspora and highlighting injustices in Egypt and Lebanon, while Bia talks about their upcoming international tour and their approach to different music genres. Continue reading and discover how this festival provided an important platform for queer artists to express themselves and address pressing issues.

SWAC: Influencer, zIssue 53Jessica MoraJanuary 18, 2024Art, LGBTQ+, Artists, singer, Actor, festivalComment

Chris Jordan - Stories Through the Lens

More than ever, it is important to consider how human activity affects the environment. Chris Jordan is an activist who uses his powerful images that capture human activity to advocate for awareness. As an artist who immerses himself in his work, he demonstrates the power of photography by employing it to amplify emotion and change the negative connotation of the environmental crisis into one that advocates a positive attitude. Continue reading to learn more about Chris Jordan's artistic vision!

Tess Elena - Songs About Sex, Life, Rock & Roll

Tess Elena is well versed in human emotions, gender, sexuality and love, and translates that beautifully into every song she writes. The singer songwriter has a unique perspective on day to day situations which she uses as inspiration for her music. Experimenting with genres, she not only writes songs for herself, but also for fundraisers like the one she did to raise money for the NYC Food Bank. Tess is also an advocate for abortion rights and has worked in support of organizations like the Yellowhammer Fund and The Lilith Fund. Let Jejune Magazine introduce you to Tess Elena and her music!

Mario Torero - Illuminating Communities With Artivism

The fight against injustices continues to this day, and Mario Torero, the artist who expresses moving messages through his work, continues to disseminate his beliefs through a movement known as Artivism. As a muralist, he embraces and explores a community's history, uses the knowledge, and combines both traditional and current customs to produce colorful murals that may be found in numerous neighborhoods across America. He continues to demonstrate to the world the influence and power of art on those who witness it. Read on to learn more about Mario Torero!

Art, zIssue 49Chelsea ChanMay 19, 2023Peru, artivisim, art, activism, community, Artists, murals, InspiringComment

VUCA On The New Immersive Album - 'The Geometry of Lies'

VUCA, which stands for Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity, is an art collective based out of Milwaukee, WI. The first project within the experimental art collective is called The Geometry of Lies and is an immersive alternate reality concept album, featuring a novel, album, and Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. The idea for this immersive album came to be during the thick of quarantine in 2020, when the backstory of the songs started to blend into chapters of a novel. Over thirty artists have worked on this project, and they partnered Drops - an AR startup out of NYC, to bring the experience to life. With the release of the collective’s new singles, ‘Shine’ and ‘Glamour',’ listeners can really dive into the story that VUCA has created. ‘Shine’ was featured at the Planned Parenthood of WI at their annual event to support this year's theme of "Be Visible,” marking the second time the collective has partnered with the organization. Read on in our interview with VUCA to learn about their creative process, the artists they have collaborated with, and their new singles.