“Afro-futuristic/fantasy/fashion” is the trio of words 26-year-old Christian McKoy uses to describe their Instagram account @3rd_eyechakra. The words “black trans and femme lives matter” feature in their bio, and upon scrolling down McKoy proves that not only do they matter, but that the subjects of their art are, in fact, superhuman.

“I’m very interested in futuristic settings with semi-dystopian undertones, kinda like Ghost in the Shell meets a Janelle Monae LP,” McKoy explains. “I love the idea of black people, women especially, shown as divine beings. We don’t see a lot of both of these concepts in any art form and I mean if I personally want to see it more why not contribute and make my own?”

From venerating icons like Imma Asher as the ‘Goddess of dance and movement’ by adding extra limbs to her already incredibly talented body, to giving Dazed 100 model Adesuwa Aighewi tentacles, McKoy “shows the black community, more specifically dark skinned femmes both cis and trans, in a fantasy setting to show representation and beauty.” Elsewhere, tentacles, cyborgs, moths, and angels feature. 

The evolution of McKoy’s work follows their instincts. “It’s only natural to make fairies after you’ve done angels,” they explain. “I don’t like to take the regular approach to traditional fantasy beings, I like a little grit with them as well.” While mainstream art is yet to catch up, artists like McKoy aren’t waiting around. “We exist and should see ourselves in art despite what the general population may think and feel,” they say. It’s about time the rest of the world caught up.