Today we’d like to introduce you to Terrell Villiers.
Hi Terrell, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
Growing up, it was very obvious that I was visibly queer. I would run around and do all sorts of crazy shit. I was very loud, animated, and flamboyant as a kid. I naturally drew a lot of attention to myself. At some point, at a young age, I stopped trying to draw more attention to myself, out of the fear of shame.
That’s when I started to create these imaginary friends whom I would then draw as characters and create storylines and imaginary worlds that I would just get so sucked into. During my adolescent years, I was often rejected from many young black communities growing up in the deep south, due to my visible queerness. So, as a result, I began to occupy predominantly white, punk, alternative spaces.
It was always easy for me to carve out a space for myself wherever I went because it was always something I had to do to survive.
I was kicked out of both my parents’ homes when I was freshly eighteen years old and still in my senior year of high school. So I’ve always had to find my own way, from a young. I would say three to four years ago, after the sudden passing of my brother, was when I had my first serious ego death which resulted in my first real spiritual awakening.
This led me to leave behind the internalized anti-blackness I possessed while occupying white spaces for survival, and embark on a journey of self-discovery. It was during that crucial time in my life when I was discovered by the collective Masisi, a new Black-Queer Caribbean Party that was creating intentional safe spaces in the Miami nightlife scene for black queer people.
Through creating those first flyers, I began to find myself back, for the first time, in those imaginary spaces I created as a kid, in search of what my own safe spaces looked like. It was also the first time in my life that I was making the direct connection between my art and my Caribbean heritage, that’s when I really began to make the connection that ‘Oh, this is definitely coming from a power above me.’
When I began to attend the parties, I was completely astonished by what I was seeing: Black Queer Freedom, personified as a dark, dimly lit room full of sexy, sweaty, empowered bodies. I was shocked at how people were making the conscious attempt to emulate the looks and energy I would embody in the characters on the flyers.
A lot of the imagery that I was creating, sometimes felt like I was seeing it come to life right before my eyes, and I’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s really crazy.’ That began the catalyst of change and intention behind my work.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely. Growing up, I attended a variety of different visual art magnet schools. Every art instructor I had refused to teach me more about digital illustration, and would refuse to accept the pieces I would create and turn in for assignments because it wasn’t a part of the “fine art curriculum”.
Each of those instructors told me my work would never be accepted in the contemporary fine art world, and that unless I submitted to the marketable “fine-art agenda” my work would go nowhere. So, from a young age I grew a strong resistance to the institution of art/art education.
After receiving my associate’s degree, I made the conscious decision to ditch my dream of going to art school and dropped out of college to pursue my freelance career. In many ways, that was the greatest decision I’d made as a young adult. However, my journey throughout the freelance world was far from a smooth ride. When I started off, I had many clients who took advantage of my eagerness to create and would financially finesse me on many projects.
I mean, now that I look back, I was completely robbed on some of my biggest public commissions, such as my first comic book ‘Myristica’ which would eventually become a collaboration with a well-known Italian art publication that partnered with Gucci to fund the project.
I later came to find out that I was given the smallest cut to split 3 ways with my team, of an extraordinary budget gifted by the luxury clothing brand. I’ve had clients straight up refuse to pay me having already completed most of the work on projects.
I’ve had clients drop entire public commission projects because I chose to keep certain parts of my artistic integrity for myself.
These are just a few of the horror stories of entering the freelance illustration world with no knowledge of the business aspect of the freelance world or representation. But now looking back at those times, I’m so grateful to have experienced those occurrences when I did, at such a young age.
It forced me to get smart, sharp, and business-savvy very quickly.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a cartoon illustrator who specializes in finding solace through creation, community, and ancestry. I see my illustrations as a visual manifesto, an open portal, that explores a neo-futuristic world where black queer life is protected and preserved.
Where we can remove the masks that society forces us to wear, free ourselves from the constraints of this patriarchal-capitalist society, and exercise freedom and autonomy over our bodies. I’m probably most known for my flyer illustrations.
In the summer of 2019, I was commissioned to create a flyer for a new upcoming party in Miami that was centering black-queer safety in nightlife by implementing a tired-pricing system to prevent Cis-hets and white people from attending mass.
That flyer became the catalyst of the trajectory of my career, which led me to join the now, widely-known queer collective ‘Masisi’. Through those flyers, I began to realize people were seeing themselves represented in the cartoon characters I was depicted according to the theme.
It didn’t take long for people to realize it was me creating the illustrations, and began approaching me on the street or on social media messages telling me how much I changed their lives with this imagery, the power of seeing black-queer & trans cartoons for the first time.
I’d say that’s my proudest achievement so far, understanding the weight and intention that my work holds in my community. Once I began to realize the depth of this imagery, I began to get sharper and sharper in refining that intention, until it became direct messaging through imagery.
I think that’s what sets my work apart from others, it’s coming from the soul, and it’s coming straight from the streets.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I would say, Procreate saved my life. Ever since making the switch from Photoshop to Procreate, the accessibility to creating became way more prevalent.
Aside from that, the queer nightlife seen is probably my greatest source of inspiration. I often say that my work is purely just fanned art of my friends and members of my community.
I draw my friends in almost all my pieces. They often bring that light and inspiration into my life that pushes me to create.
Contact Info:
- Website: terrellvilliers-creations.com
- Instagram: @terrell.villiers
