Watch: Inside MQBMBQ’s Tuscan retreat for Black queer artists

“It should be the bare minimum for Black queer artists to have somebody care for you”, says MQBMBQ’s founder Jordan Anderson, which is exactly what their artists residency sets out to achieve. Sending trans multimedia artist and writer Ebun Sodibo and African-American-Filipino image-maker and storyteller Kia LaBeja to the idyllic Tuscan countryside, the residency gave both artists the opportunity to stay with Villa Lena’s family of international creatives, receive mentorship and guidance from Black feminist author, academic and arts curator Legacy Russell – as well as simply have some room to think away from the inexorable pressures of the creative industry.

“This has been a space for me to get back to myself, it allowed me to relight the fire,” says Sodibo, whose work centres on celebrating Black trans women’s presence, embodiment and interiority across the past, present and future. “Being cast as meaningless in the historical scene can cause psychological and spiritual problems and I want to remedy that”, she explains. Inspired by the rich Black feminist lineage of collage and fabulation, Sodibo’s work takes a variety of forms, be it galleries, festivals, theatre, digital or print.

This sense of space and perspective is echoed by fellow residency recipient LaBeija, who explained that “this is every artists’ dream – to have time and not think about anything else.” Born in Hell’s Kitchen, New York, with HIV, LaBeija’s work is powerfully autobiographical, spanning self-portraits, movement and film to narrate complex stories at the intersection of womanhood, sexuality and her Filipino and African-American heritage. “I’m very interested in space and the ways in which I can insert myself and create something brand new, make myself brand new,” she continues.

Both artists also received mentorship and guidance from Legacy Russell, author of Glitch Feminism: A Manifesto and chief curator of performance and art institution The Kitchen NYC. “Having Legacy as a mentor is also a major milestone for us, as her work has influenced the way in which we view identity and feminism in so many different ways,” says Anderson. “We’re incredibly grateful to share a slice of their wisdom with our artists."

Catch what went down at the dreamy residency in the video above, and some snapshots in the gallery above too.