FEATURED ARTIST: Grace Allison Perkins
PRONOUNS: She/Her
MEDIUM OF CHOICE: Ink, Gouache, and digital
GRACE PERKINS reached out to us last year about being part of Volume 3 of our anthology zine, and we knew instantly we had to include her. In the 3 years since we started, we had yet to receive a comic submission, which can be difficult to do successfully within one small page. But with only three panels, the work that Grace provided gave us the eroticism we look for, as well as so much more intimacy and story buried in the details.
Grace was tired of seeing only the fetishized homoerotic work and wanted to create something more real-life. She asked herself “What forms of intimacy do I want to see in stories and how can I provide sex positivity for those who feel like they don’t see themselves in erotic works?” And as you will see below, unlike a plot from a porn, her vignettes seem to capture intimate moments between two lovers that would typically not have a place in porn, but at the same time make the characters more relatable, more endearing, and more real to life. “I like to remind people that sex can be playful, intensive and emotional with the right person.”
Since 2015 she has shown her work in various galleries and conventions and has loved getting to know other queer artists in the community. "It’s been a pleasure getting the opportunity to exchange ideas and realize that there are people like me who understand how our art can act as a voice within our community." And it's been a pleasure getting to know her as well!
You can find more of Grace's work on her website (www.gperki.com) and on her instagram (@what_up_g_perks). Her books and some other merchandise here: gumroad.com/gperki and she is always open to commissions, so hit her up!
And don’t forget we will have some of her comics this Saturday and Sunday (April 27-28, 1-7pm) at the NYC Queer Comic Fair at the LGBT Center in manhattan!
Below is a selection of her comic work as well as some stand alone illustrations! Enjoy!
