Tag Archives: Midori sex educator

Sacred Wounds’ “Future Conjure” theme is a beautiful celebration of the Asian diaspora, with Midori and more!

Wang Newton for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure by Suzanne Forbes Feb 13 2021

I had to take a disco nap and screw up my sleep schedule to catch this show, and it was worth it.

Drag King Dr. Wang Newton, the host, is the warmest, funniest and sweetest! He called us all babies, which I love. I felt very welcomed by the Sacred Wounds family! The show is co-produced by Coco Ono, aka performance artist Kayla Tange, who also does Cyber Clown Girls Show and who I drew last year.

California live-streams are the very hardest, since 4am, when most of them start, is my natural bedtime and starting work then messes me ALL up, but –

I had to stay up to draw longtime friend and muse Midori!

Midori interactive performance for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure screenshot Feb 13 2021Midori had an ingenious and wonderful interactive piece designed for this show.

She placed her gold-painted face on screen, then invited the audience to draw on her, using the annotation function of Zoom! I think absolutely no-one in the audience knew this function existed, but it was easy to use and everyone was almost instantly engaging with Midori’s face, drawing and stamping and writing.

I was absolutely thrilled by the way the lines criss-crossing the screen created a virtual through-line to so many of Midori’s works involving webs of rope.

Midori for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure by Suzanne Forbes Feb 13 2021I drew Midori as I saw her in the Zoom audience, her beautiful face one I know so well.

Then once I scanned the drawing (original below), I used my very limited and crude digital art skills to replicate some of the words and motifs from the performance. It was so fun to engage with one of my own drawings, such a serious matter always for me, in a spirit of play.

Midori original drawing for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure by Suzanne Forbes Feb 13 2021

This to me is the essence of Midori as a sexuality educator: her ability to create a space for play.

You can see Midori’s educational workart and writing on her Patreon (I was one of the first to join!), and enjoy her youtube here and insta here.

Jas Lin for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure Suzanne Forbes Feb 13 2021Drawing Butoh performers is always exciting.

I try to go loose and weird, looking for the feel of the performance more than the specific movements. Jas Lin made marvelous use of words, movement, a circular mirror, a croptop red kimono and tube socks. You can see more of their performances here on Youtube!

Ibuki Kuramochi Blood Bowl Sutra for Sacred Wounds Future Conjure by Suzanne Forbes Feb 13 2021Ibuki Kuramochi created a new piece called Blood Bowl Sutra.

it was powerful and hypnotic. Ibuki Kuramochi is here on Insta and website here. I was astonished, when I went to Ibuki’s website, to see the cover image was very much like my drawing! I like it best when I see the performer as they want me to see them.

I am incredibly grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to continue to work safely at home, documenting Queer Culture.

As usual these drawings are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) for all to share and enjoy!

In addition, I release the copyright on each drawing to the performer shown and they may use the drawings for their own profit and pleeeasssure in any way they choose.

 

San Francisco muses whose faces I know so well, drawn through the ether.

Midori for Dark Garden livestream Nov 26 2020 by Suzanne ForbesI saw on the excellent Dark Garden instagram feed that DG doyenne Autumn Adamme would be having a livestream chat with Midori.

Midori and K city hall wedding 2008Both of these San Francisco legends are well known to me. I painted Midori, who has an incredibly busy travel schedule as an artist, author and sexuality educator, over three years from 2006 to 2009, as we could fit the sessions in.

I drew her at her wedding at San Francisco City Hall in 2008, and at Torture Garden in London, and spent several happy Fourth of July parties watching explosions from her terrace.

I think the drawing above, from the livestream, captures the deep current of mischievous perversity that glows in Midori when she talks about dominance.

Midori for Dark Garden livestream 2 Nov 26 2020 by Suzanne ForbesHere you see Midori in her library, where I painted her, with her books behind her.

You can see Midori’s educational work, art and writing on her Patreon (I was one of the first to join!), and enjoy her youtube here and insta here.

I drew Autumn Adamme several times in the Oughts. Autumn and I had hoped to arrange a portrait in those days but she was then and probably now simply too busy. Instead we collaborated on a Dark Garden fashion show where I drew lots of models in her corsets!

She was in Berlin not long ago, but I was too ill to meet up.

Autumn Adamme for Dark Garden livestream Nov 26 2020 by Suzanne ForbesI still hope for a painting at some point.

Meanwhile, here is Autumn in one of my favorite of her corset designs, similar to my own Dark Garden corset. Dark Garden has fantastic educational and eye candy content, from their Patreon to their Youtube channel to their gorgeous insta to the fabulous website.

Eva Galperin on EFF livestream Nov 26 2020 by Suzanne ForbesAnother muse from the Bay, from a livestream.

Beloved friend-muse-Patron Eva Galperin has given several livestream talks for her role at EFF (as well as innumerable other talks this year). This is from July, but just finished this week. I know Eva’s mother, who is also a Patron and collector of my work, and as I drew this I could really see her in Eva’s face.

I am incredibly grateful to my Patreon Patrons, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me work safely at home.