Interview with ggggrimes (@ggggrimes)-- the illustator redefining art with Black, PoC and LGBT+ bodies

GGGGRIMES

We’ve decided to highlight the truly talented Gabriella Grimes for our LGBTQIA+ spotlight, the illustrator we’ve collaborated with and who we fawn over with their work displaying POC, gender-nonconforming, nonbinary, and other identifying folks in such a genuine light – plus they offer the best memes daily on their Instagram stories.

Tell our readers more about yourself and where they can find you and support your work.

“Gabriella Grimes, or ‘ggggrimes’. I am a 23 year old based out of New York City and you can find me at @ggggrimes on Instagram. I identify as bisexual and non-binary using they/them pronouns. My shop is http://depop.com/imgabby and my email is ggggrimes.art@gmail.com.”

A lot of your art features people of color as well as different gender identities. What is the story behind why your art features diverse and different bodies that what most [cis, straight] folks are used to?

“When I first began my art journey over a year ago, I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what could make my work more meaningful for me. I began looking at so many different artists, and I realized that while I liked their style, I could hardly find people in their art who I could relate to. It wasn’t a coincidence that at the same time, most of the people who were supporting me were people of color. As I began slowly growing on Instagram, I came in contact with more people and accepted my queerness more. I wanted to pay homage to the people of color, queer and cishet alike, who helped me keep going with art. On top of that, I wanted young queer people of color to see themselves created in a positive light. Most of my artwork has a wholesome message, and I dislike having to tackle subjects like abuse and racism. We already know how bad things are for us. I want to show us being happy for the most part.”

What have been two of your favorite art pieces you've done and why?

“One of my favorites is of a gay boy in class daydreaming about his crush and falling asleep. It’s actually a really relatable illustration for me. I had a few crushes on girls in high school and would daydream about them. I also fell asleep a lot because I was on meds that made me super tired all the time. It’s an illustration stemming from nostalgia.”

“Another favorite is one of the first that helped me find my current style. It’s a girl with vitiligo posing with her boyfriend who’s wearing a jockstrap. I like drawing couples of color, and a lot of people assume the guy is white just because he has pale skin. I wonder if it’s because people have an expectation of Black women only dating Black men and White men. I also remember seeing so many photos of guys posing next to their girlfriend’s butt. I flipped that because I really just want to see more guy butts.”

Do your own identities play a part in your art or is it subjective?

I don’t think there’s a way for me to separate myself from my art. It’s been a really healing experience for me. I don’t think I would like myself as much as I do if my identities didn’t play a role in my work. If you see me painting a non-binary person it’s probably because I was recently reflecting on my own identity. I also paint a lot of alternative people because I’ve been a part of the alt community since I was about 12. I used to be told I was acting White for liking these things, so my art is a big “eff you” to people who try to tell Black people and non-Black PoC terrible things like that.

The theme this issue is womanhood. Our idea for the issue was to see the spectrum of sides that the term and evaluation of the term provide such as critique, pride, etc. Where do you land on the spectrum of proximity and the spectrum of womanhood-- how do you view that term?

I have a very strained relationship with womanhood but I love it. I wish my body were different and I could be seen as androgynous, but that’s not my reality. I’m always seen as a woman, and I embrace my femininity after rejecting it for most of my life to seem more laidback and cool. There’s no way for me to untie these things, which is why I often tell people I’m a non-binary woman. You see me and you’re going to treat me like a Black woman. I don’t necessarily hate that because Black women are incredible. Womanhood is beautiful, and I believe it affects femmes so much no matter their gender identity because of how women and femininity are viewed in this world.

Your work is featured as the cover of this issue as part of our collaboration as well as stickers available for purchase. What does this piece mean to you? What would you like to say to the readers viewing the cover or purchasing a sticker?

This piece means that it’s okay for me to be myself. I am allowed to look like a woman while being nonbinary and Black. I can love pretty clothes, long nails, and large earrings that are visible from a mile away. If you view this sticker and see the person as a woman, I want you to ask yourself why. Unpack your perceptions of the binary just like I do every single day. Unlearning is a process, and you might realize your gender identity isn’t as clear cut as you initially thought as you go along. It’s rad to understand yourself and make a better effort to understand other people.

Anything else you'd like to add about your artistry, journey, or experience?

If you see someone you know pursuing art, encourage them. I didn’t reach this point by myself. I had so many people lifting me up. I go back and look at pieces I now think are horrible but other people told me was good. Uplift your loved ones, especially the young ones who have no idea what they’re doing and they’re being taught to hate themselves just because they’re marginalized.