[maple:koyo] is a zine that preserves and illustrates the complexities, artistic expressions, and identities of enriched melanated q***r individuals through the mediums of art, poetry, love and enlightenment. Through a black q***r lens, [maple:koyo] is designed to collectively disrupt gender binaries, promote positive images of black q***r individuals, and to create a platform for the lgbtq commun
ity to speak. The zine chronicles a collection of curated black q***r artists from photographers, poets, essayist and graphic designers. The inaugural issue of [maple:koyo] focuses on the art of black q***r men. These entities and identifiers define who we are as people and as individuals, yet within these spectrums of experiences and self-identifying, there are possible battles between Bo***ge & Freedom. The ideas, social norms and standards within our society create pariahs of the world that leave these people on a constant search for a free life in a in a bound society. Through strong and striking photographic images, Bo***ge & Freedom details the unspoken fears and struggles stirring within the black community. From physical bo***ge to emotional and mental bo***ge, this series forces one to see bo***ge through the exposed body in order to understand that all black lives matter, woman, man, LGBTQ, the mentally ill, all of us, the unspoken, the forgotten, the others. It is this reality that, “we are all in search of freedom,” which is why this collaboration is so important to us—we are an example of our journey and search for freedom together.
