Visual Artist Sue Tsai and the Importance of Representation

Sue Tsai, right, with her latest piece "Metamorphosis"
Photos: @melissamissye

By Missy E. 

Throughout the month of August, New York-based visual artist Sue Tsai once again took center stage during her pop-up exhibit this year entitled "You Deserve a Beautiful Life". 

Her bold and edgy pieces drew admirers from around the city who didn't waste any time doing photo-ops with her larger-than-life pieces. The namesake piece "You Deserve a Beautiful Life" depicted a young city boy (with the cleanest pair of purple kicks) reaching out to a young girl wearing a beautiful hijab amidst the backdrop of night clouds painted in deep blue hues. The words that come to mind are peace and small acts of kindness. 

Whether it was the namesake piece or the "Fears of an Artist" piece - the painting with the young asian girl in her slick-back ponytail, chanclas and colorful dress - representation was key and the art spoke to that powerful element in true form.

"You Deserve A Beautiful Life"

Click "Read More" to check out more exhibit photos + Tsai's heartfelt message!

New Music Friyay: Jessie Reyez "Apple Juice" + "Body Count" Are Weekend Vibes

If Selena had a remixed, eclectic protege for this new decade, it would be Jessie Reyez with her sultry vocals and sass for days.

Click the image to watch the video for "Body Count" 

Click the image to watch the video for "Apple Juice"

Jessie Reyez earned yet another career milestone moment this week with her debut performance at the 2018 MTV VMA's, performing new single "Apple Juice", and today celebrates that achievement with the release of a new remix version of her wildly popular single "Body Count", featuring two other current female pop / R&B icons, Kehlani and Normani. Much like her win at the 2018 JUNO Awards, where she performed "Figures; A Reprise" featuring fellow Torontonian Daniel Caesar, and took home the award for Breakthrough Artist, Reyez crowned the moment with the release of the remix that gives a whole new life to the song.

All three women found a connection through "Body Count", a self-love anthem penned by Reyez and released earlier this year with an official video that had press such as Rolling Stone, Billboard, Pigeons & Planes, Noisey, HypeBeast, Hot New Hip Hop, VIBE, OkayPlayer and more championing the song and video. The official video found Reyez at the center of a "witch trial" scene, where she was taken to the stake for her supposed crimes committed. Both the song and the video are an homage to Reyez's outspoken stance that we should all get to "love who we wanna love" and feel empowered by that.