Celebrate Pride Month by getting to know the artists behind our latest collaboration!
This Pride Month, Society6 has partnered with four LGBTQIA+ artists to create a collection of artworks inspired by what Pride means to them. Here, we hear from them on their journeys to finding their artistic style and what inspired these works.
A portion of sales from our Pride Collection proudly supports Queer|Art—an artist-led and artist-centered organization, connecting and empowering LGBTQIA+ artists at all levels of their careers.
Lily Fulop
Chicago, IL
“Growing up, I always identified as an artist, but I went to school for graphic design because I wanted a more practical career. During college I distanced myself from my artist identity, because design is supposed to be functional and for others, while art is expressive and personal. At a certain point, I decided to embrace what felt authentic to me, instead of what I felt I “should” do as a designer. I enjoy responding to materials in an abstract, non-representational way, as well as telling conceptual stories through more representational imagery—it really depends! My body of work has a lot of variety in it, since I haven’t committed to a particular medium, technique, or theme. I’ve embraced maximalism!
As an artist, I love using color to evoke emotion. In this illustration, I wanted to convey a sense of celebration and hopefulness amongst darker themes. I’m proud to be a part of the queer community which brings joy and love to the world, even in the face of hate and discrimination. I’m so inspired by the resilience of our community and hope that this piece inspires LGBTQIA+ folks to continue standing up for themselves and for each other.”
GGGGRIMES
Philadelphia, PA
“My journey has been incredibly layered. Medium wise, I went from watercolor and ink to digital within my first year of doing art professionally. During my first year of being an “Instagram Artist,” I realized that most of the art I saw that was popular depicted mostly white cisgender and heterosexual bodies, relationships, situations, etc. At the same time, I started coming to terms with my identities as a non-binary and gay person. I didn’t realize until I started talking to more people like me, how important it would have been to SEE people like me in media. I started painting majority people of color with intention. The last few months, without even intentionally doing it, I’ve been painting only trans people of color. It’s been an amazing journey, full of intentional and unintentional decisions that have helped me create beautiful things for people around the world to look at. I’ve helped people come to terms with their identities, or realize that nothing bad will happen if they accept a queer person in their life with love. I provide a safe space for queer people on my platform, even making sure comments of hate are not tolerated in any capacity.
My piece, “This Love Carries Me,” really reflects how it’s been for me these last couple years during the pandemic. If it weren’t for the support of my community, I wouldn’t be here today. I have so many loving friends, and a loving partner who was a loving friend to me first. I have chosen family, and biological family that have shown me they’re worthy of being chosen. My creativity is a reflection of the love poured into me. ”
Shanée Benjamin
Brooklyn, NY
“My community and my hometown of Brooklyn, NY inspires me daily! Brooklyn is filled with vibrant, unapologetic humans that inspire me to be myself.
My journey is ever evolving. Each phase of art is a new phase that I’m discovering about myself and feeling more comfortable in being me. When I first started, I was into vector illustration, which to me now, felt like I didn’t know myself, so I drew what was the standard. As I got more comfortable with myself as an artist and a person I realize my style is more contemporary rather than stock.
This piece celebrates Pride, celebration of femme identities, and love!”
Mich Miller
Los Angeles, CA
“Now that I am in my late 20s is that I myself am coming to understand it more. By that I mean honing in on what my own intentions are for creating work, the history of art and culture I am engaging with, and the message I want to send. I’ve been creating forms of abstract art for 10 years but I didn’t come to realize until recently that my commitment to working in abstraction is also a commitment to embracing ambiguity. As a nonbinary transgender and bisexual person this is something I’ve come to understand is also a practice and radical act of self loving the fluidity in my own identity.
For this design I wanted to create a hypnotic, graphic space that utilizes a pastel palette referentially to the trans and pride flag. To me this design feels like the visualization of just one moment on the dance floor. Specifically after a bright disco light shines in your eyes, so you close them for a moment and see the after image vibrating behind your eyelids. You feel the music in your chest, and the body heat of many beautiful queer people dancing around you. In those moments I feel the history of those who danced before me but are no longer here with us, and I celebrate them in my joy. Queer joy is a radical beautiful thing.”
Comments