TextaQueen – More than Australia’s Felt Tip Super Hero

We caught TextaQueen at the Sister Spit 2013 kickoff show presenting their poster series entitled We Don’t Need Another Hero. The posters showcase people of color starring as badass outlaws in post-apocalypse movies. The hyperbole characteristic of these kinds of movie posters is actually real when it comes to how people of color survived their colonialism and these pieces awesomely celebrate that valor. Get back get back g-g-g-get back get back!

After the show, we were literally so hungry that we could only mind-babble potentially-too-personal-information at eachother #nofilter. By the time we got our hands on plantains and papusas, I somehow knew Texta’s housing history, Texta knew my body ailments, and multiple ex’s had come up in conversation. Once replenished, we finally talked about our projects. As an Indian born in Australia, Texta experienced exotification amongst their peers and queers before they were even mature enough to get why. Now Texta’s art reflects practices of self-exploration, self-discovery, and self-love as a queer person of color and directs that love towards community building amongst poc. It’s no wonder we found each other.

» Check out TextaQueen on the latest Konversation «

P.S. Texta gave me a copy of their zine and lets just say this poem NEEDS to be a guest verse on the next GreedHead release.