Mazahir Hussain, better known as @GirthOfVenus online, is cultivating quite the following. If you take a pleasurable stroll through his Instagram you will find thousands flocking to absorb a sense of visual wonder at his queer creations. Reminiscent of medieval tapestry, and the South Asian sex guide, the Kamasutra, the imagery reimagines the past and sheds much needed light onto Brown beauty. Here we speak to the artist on navigating the gay dating scene, his identity, and why finding acceptance on your past can unlock pleasure in the present. It’s a visual rebirth.
Art is an artist’s artistic expression! Can you talk me through some of the inspirations, ideas and feelings you were exploring before you even picked up the paintbrush?
Growing up there was very little South Asian representation when it came to a point of desirability or sensuality. When I was growing up as a queer kid, and then navigating dating within the queer world, when you're on the apps like Grindr, or even before that, the days of Gaydar I would always get really down by not getting as many messages as my friends. I had to sort of make peace with it in a really fucked up way. Understanding that sexuality politics and desirability politics is pretty much heavily mixed with race.
