Artist Najja Moon came to Miami in 2009 and has developed a creative practice that uplifts and holds space for her community.
Moon is most known for her prolific portfolio of collective, intentional, and intersectional community-centered art, including The Blck Family, This Girl’s Lunch Box, The Escalator, Your Mama’s Voice in the Back of Your Head, and Portrait at 34.
Moon sees her work as representative of her own identity. “I think it’s very transparent. I think it’s not possible to separate your identity from your work. I am a Queer Black woman from the American South. In some ways, everything I make says that.”
It is apparent when talking to Moon that one quality is infused throughout all her work: her unyielding gratitude. “I’m so grateful for the people I have around me.”
While Moon expresses deep emotional and cultural themes, her ethos remains simple and playful. “Holding space… having fun. Being vulnerable, and being honest… I’m just out here—trying to be myself… trying to be my best self…. I try to show up for people in a way that they feel joy, supported and seen. And I want to feel joy, support, and be seen. I want to work in that ecosystem where there is that reciprocity.”
Homepage: OUT & PROUD 50 2023