Alum of the Moment: Artistic Afro

Our next Alum of the Moment is the amazing Artistic Afro, also known as Hiyasmine "Queen" Gaskins, one of the amazing contributing visual artists to our coloring book "Girls Who Colored Outside the Lines" as well as our wellness journal "how to destroy the patriarchy in seven days." (We've also got an Angela Davis enamel pin with their gorgeous design!)

Learn more about Artistic Afro in our IG Live interview here.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your passions

My artist name is Artistic Afro. I am a visual artist, muralist, and skateboarder based in Jersey City, NJ. I have a loooot of passions haha, but my mains are skateboarding, travel, being in nature, language learning, philosophies on self awareness, and finding ways to use my creativity to help others.

What projects are you working on now?

I am working on a series of drawings honoring Black skateboarders who inspire me to stay on the board. I am currently recovering from knee surgery and I miss skating a lot. This is my way of channeling that energy into something creative while honoring the people who have paved the way for skaters like me.

What impact would you like to have on others?

I would like give people the confidence to create whatever the fuck they want to create, be whoever the fuck you want to be. Talk less, do more.

How has IFC impacted you?

Working with organizations like In Full Color lets me, a non-binary queer artist, feel like I can be seen and properly represented in my full being. I love how supportive everyone is in sharing opportunities/ gigs, creating events to get our names out there, or just reaching out to collab. I’m so grateful to be a part of this community.