Bodacious Queer Confidence: Falling into ggggrimes World
A 2019 scrolling session first brought me to the works of Theodoor Gabriella Grime, known by their/his moniker, ggggrimes. Comic-style digital illustrations reflect his trans and queer community. Beautiful, colorful, sensual, and sexual graphically clean-cut, in-your-face, and unashamed bodies encapsulate the time we are living in—his virtual popularity confirms that they are not only of this moment, but necessary in it. Whether it be in print, shirt, tapestry, coaster, or grid format, his work pops, and his frank digital presence charting his journey to inner peace and self-acceptance is an inspiration to many, including myself.
In 2021, ahead of the curve, UP Magazine commissioned me to interview ggggrimes—at the time, he was happy to help others by sharing experiences. Little did we know that his popularity would continue to swell after collaborating with Parade on a series of limited edition prints and Lyft’s awareness campaign surrounding pronouns. This year, he was a recipient of the BRIO Award at the 36th Annual Bronx Council of the Arts, and in 2024, he curated Self Affection featuring Adesewa Adekoya, Hui-Ying Tsai, and Stephanie Pichardo’s work across three billboards in Brooklyn with Save Art Space. Both represent well-deserved recognitions in the institutional art world.
It seems perfect that rather than at a traditional gallery ggggrimes first solo show is presented in a queer hair salon in Brooklyn—a space of comfort and expression. The artist describes A World For Us as an illustrated series of affirmations, which include: “We are meant to be happy and safe. We are meant to be ourselves and love ourselves. We deserve beautiful, sexy, fun lives. We deserve an easy existence.” The works hang on a large wall, and the affirmations and sentiments behind each one strike a deep chord with me. and self-love are seen over and over again in the works on view. The imagery using bright neons, butterflies, suns and stars takes a Lisa Frank-esque aesthetic on a more radical and sexually explicit route, her queer baby cousin perhaps. I am drawn in by the colors and mesmerized by the depictions of love and intimacy.
Many of the works center on two figures looking lovingly, or even lustfully, at one another. In a world where we are often disconnected through social media and isolation, seeing such affection between people, especially queer ones, is warm, delicious.
One of the things I love about ggggrimes works is that many are not simply titled, they also have descriptions, allowing a viewer to understand the image as gggrimes intends you to. March is followed by the description, ’A Latino transmasc enby (left) getting smothered in kisses by their Afro-Latina trans girlfriend.’ This act of describing recapitulates the loving queerness of the piece and shows not just an intimate scene, but a relationship. They illustrate everyday scenes, an embrace, a touch, but also fantastical and out of this realm of possibility, like hot aliens having sex (Strapped 2) with tentacles from creatures just out of view caressing a body. In ggggrimes work, queerness is not a limitation; it represents potentiality.
I can just imagine sitting in one of the hairdresser’s chairs, having one of the talented stylists making me feel exquisite, looking ahead to admire ggggrimes works surrounding my mirror image. This unorthodox presentation emphasizes the untraditional and very contemporary avenues that this artist has taken to elevate themselves and expose their works to others—and, importantly how his work centers not only his queerness, but also encompasses queer experiences of others. A World For Us also marks the first art exhibition at the queer hairsalon Exhibit Salon, currently their open call is open for more four month long shows with underrepresented artists.
One of the first ways I was able to express myself, my creativity, and my queerness was through how I styled and dyed my hair. Hair can help transform a person, allowing them to feel more comfortable in their body. To me, this is the most rudimentary form of protest as a baby gay when I was growing up in the south. I couldn’t have tattoos, I didn’t have piercings (not yet anyway), Myspace was just becoming a thing, I could wear clothing that expressed myself a bit, but honestly, I looked at in envy all the Screamo and emo kids that wore all black and had raccoon hair. I watched The L Word in secret and dreamed of being out and proud in California. I wasn’t allowed to do much, but what I could do was cut my hair short and dye it from blonde to red to black. I wanted to show on the outside that I was different than all the girls that wore American Eagle; to somehow show I was ggggay. I can only imagine how I would have reacted as a teenager growing up seeing ggggrimes work online—I would have felt so much less alone. A World For Us, completely reminds me of that safe space that can be created by being around other queer folks, or even just knowing that others like you exist.
ggggrimes A World For Us is on view through July 5th at Exhibit Salon, 182 Driggs Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222. Visit @ggggrimes to stay up to date.
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