Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
This is what the world needs now: two free-thinking “seasoned” Black women speaking their truth and inspiring others to do the same. Shaped by 45 years of friendship that began at the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School through the Ivy League, medical school, marriages, divorces, triumphs, parenting queer children, life-threatening illness and many many amazing adventures. Each week, besties Leslie Osei-Tutu and Angella Fraser will push against boundaries in love, culture, careers, faith, politics and out-dated assumptions about women of a certain age. Remember, you’re never too old to change your mind…or your hair! (but more on that later :-)All views are our own and do not reflect the views of our institution/company. Information provided is not intended to serve as medical advice.
Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn
Ep38 S4/2 Beholding Beauty: Stretch Marks, Wrinkles and All
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The Besties separately were brought to tears when they first viewed Ira’s (Ayirani) art - strong, feminine, queer, love-filled, flower-powerful, beautiful, voluptuous, all the things that feel right with the world.
Ira is an illustrator from New York whose work primarily focuses on the experience of the South Asian Queer-identified community. Their soft-spoken and shy demeanor belies the courageous imagery they create.
Ira’s art seamlessly juxtaposes a rejection of patriarchal, ageist and colorism-based socialization, especially of girls, in South Asian culture while embracing traditional Hindu symbolism.
Join the Besties as they get to fall more deeply in awe of this amazing young artist.
Shop Ira's art
Follow Ira on IG
Visit Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn website for behind-the-scenes extras.
Hey Les. Hey Ange. How are you doing? I know, I know, I know you wanted to do something different, but it's just as soon as I hear the clap, I do this. It is, I do this. It's like Pavlov's dog, but I'm not salivating. I'm just responding to the clap. I'm just eager. And you're eager.
SPEAKER_02And that's quite all right because I'm eager too. There are not many times in my life, I'll speak from myself personally, when I'm a science head, as you know. You know, I'm a logical thinker, I'm a science head, and numbers and and what have you, that's my groove. However, I became aware of this particular artist and their artwork. And even though you briefly described it to me previously, when I encountered the work, I was blown away and became very emotional to the point where I said I need you to be on my podcast. So it took me out of my left brain mode. Took me into a beautiful um I'm just blown away by this person that we have as our guest today. And when I listened to their story, it became even clearer. Like I too understood what you said, Angie, when you said you were moved to tears.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I was. And I didn't I didn't think to invite Ira to the podcast at that time because I was a blubbering idiot. I was so almost embarrassed that I did not have control of my emotions because I didn't really understand um uh why Ira's art affected me in the way that it did. And I'm I'm exploring that. Um, but it really did. And and Ira, I I I guess it's just you because we both separately had this reaction to the art that you create. And so um I'm so looking forward to this conversation. And I know that you uh spent some time with Leslie, and I purposefully did not want to hear any of it because I I wanted to um just kind of hear it here for the first time. Um, but um I'm so looking forward to this this conversation.
SPEAKER_02And said, okay, stop talking, Les. Stop talking about that. That's exactly what I said. Don't tell me any more of your ideas. That's exactly what I said. And so who is this lovely person that we have here that I'm proud to call my niece?
SPEAKER_01I'm proud to call um all the things. Yeah, all the things.
SPEAKER_02Um and they call me Auntie, and it's moving. And please introduce yourself.
SPEAKER_00Okay, thank you, Aunties. Uh hi everyone. Um, my name is Ira. Um, and my pronouns are they, them, and I am an artist.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. Why am I getting all sweaty and nervous? Oh, I know. It's so crazy because I'm um I'm just moved.
SPEAKER_01I'm moved. It's so crazy. And um, I actually spent some time with Ira, we both did, um in um Brooklyn. Uh it feels like a month ago, but it was only a week ago. And um usually, you know, we're we're just talking and things like that, but um it was such a great time. It was such a great time, and it just kind of reinforced the person who um creates this this beautiful um these beautiful works of art. And you you guys have seen this one. Where is it? Yes. On my this one, yeah.
unknownYes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01That's that's always here. It's it's a part of my backdrop. And um, as soon as I saw the art, and by the way, guys, you will be seeing, you will be seeing. We are gonna pull up so you can see um some of uh Ira's um art. Um, but um I'm mentioning this particular piece here because as soon as I saw it, I wanted to have it in my space. I wanted it to be um a part of um, you know, the energy of my of my surroundings. And um and then having it here so it's in every podcast, that was that was really deliberate. Um, because I wanted to um be able to look up myself and see this um, you know, something that inspires me uh so much. So anyway, I Ira, listen, you you're just gonna have to be embarrassed at how much we gush over you. You just have to like, you know, you're just gonna have to get used to it or not get used to it, but it's gonna happen throughout this entire episode. Um, it's how we feel. We're not people who hold back the emotions. Right, right. So um, but I do want to zip it now and allow you, or Leslie, you go.
SPEAKER_02I just want to say, remember we were in the coffee shop a couple last week and they had some art pieces up, and I'm like, Ira, look at that. The work is so much better than that. You should have your pieces in here. I do have a little.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness, that's funny. Welcome. Welcome. We didn't say to another episode. We are Ira, you're messing us all up because we're just so emotional. Oh my goodness. Yeah, welcome to another episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn. Brooklyn! Okay, now we've officially begun. Yeah, um, go ahead, Les. I I have to, I can't say very much because I already feel so you're an artist, but you're not just a regular dagular artist.
SPEAKER_02You have a particular vision, you have a particular style, but even more than that, what warmed my heart so much and was so impressive to me is that you your why you come up with these creations that you do is most impressive. And I don't get to speak to many artists. Um, so I have no idea why people create what they do. But when I heard part of your story and what initiated uh you into this type of medium, and not just that, some of the things that you want to depict in your work. That's what was I said, I want to share that. So you can jump in and just wherever you want.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, I don't know where to start, but um I guess I can start with the piece that's behind um Auntie on the left.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00The um, it's named um The Sun after like the tarot series, but um it has like a lot of I guess inspiration behind it. Um it could be like one of my more like signature pieces, I guess, but it has a lot of like Hindu mythology, but also like um magical girl elements and like um I guess like Sailor Moon vibes, but also like you know, like feminine power, all these kind of like things. And um when I was making the piece, I incorporated some elements that um were like kind of churning in my mind, and I was like, can I put these together? And some of those elements were like um the person depicted in the drawing is like of a larger size and is like dark-skinned and like very like beautiful, and um they're wearing like um jewelry that's used in Barthanatyam, which is uh traditional South Asian dance style. And I used to take classes for that um when I was like uh when I was a little kid, and at first I was really excited, and you know, I was like, oh, this is so awesome! I love dancing. Um, but I was a child um who was like of size, and because of that, I faced some like scrutiny and like criticism, and that um discouraged me from pursuing um that like dance art. And like even as an adult, I never stopped thinking about how beautiful that art is. And I incorporated some of the elements of like the headpiece and the um the pants into this piece, but then also there's also some like wedding jewelry that's in it too. And um I can't like generalize and speak for like the South Asian community as a whole, but from my own personal community, um, there's a lot of I guess like expectations for um for marriage and for femininity and for what a bride can be. And um from a young age as somebody who was socialized as a girl, um uh something that was used, I guess, like against me to like control me and my body would be like uh my mom would tell me like not to play out in the sun um and like trigger warning for like uh like colorism and like racism. But my mom would say, like, oh, like don't play in the sun, you'll get dark. Like nobody will marry you if you're dark. And she's saying this to like a nine-year-old, so like obviously I was like, I don't care, and I'll just like go into it anyway. And or she would be like, Don't eat too much, you'll like become like uh she'll say like you'll become fat and nobody want to marry you. And those are just two of the ways that um people control women's bodies and girls' bodies and bodies in general, honestly. Like we live in a very like fat phobic society. Um, so when I made this piece, I wanted to make somebody who's beautiful, like genuinely like beautiful, and show like you can dance barnatyam, you can get married, you can be strong, you can be full of love, and like I don't know, like um there's like roses, you know, like roses are like just linked with beauty and richness, yes, and lushness. So, like all of those emotional things, I guess, are kind of channeled into that piece. So it is one of my more favorite um pieces that I've made.
SPEAKER_01Oh, I'm not gonna make it through.
unknownI know I'm not gonna make it through.
SPEAKER_02Sorry, that was a lot. Is this one of your earlier pieces, or where in your career have you did this, did you present this piece?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, I don't exactly remember when I made it. It might have been in like 2019. Um and I think it's like maybe in the middle of my journey, I guess, but um, it's definitely linked to, I guess, my awakening to my independence and my identity as an adult. Yes, yes. Um and at that point I had just um shifted away from I guess living with my parents and begin living on my own and discovering what the world is really like.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_00Um, because I'm like standing on my own two feet and I'm like, oh, like the world is so beautiful and there's so many like wonderful things and people to like you know to get to know. And I think coming into my identity um I think made me a better artist because I was able to visualize um just so much more than like um I guess kind of like broaden my horizons, like to like let's say like uh you know something like that.
SPEAKER_02But what is so striking to me and beautiful to me is how you put so you were able to distill and concentrate so many of those emotions into color, into form, into strength, symbolism. Symbolism, yeah. That's the thing. Um that's the thing to turn the traditional forms of South Asian beauty and American beauty for sure, upside down and show this beautiful person who is warrior-like, but full of flowers and color.
SPEAKER_01That's the arrow. The arrow is shooting flowers. I was like, oh, what the heck? Ira, I want to say something because um, you know, uh this you you are the youngest person that we've had on the podcast. And um you're one of our biggest fans. Um, I don't know if you know that, but you're one of our biggest fans. Like you are on every episode. You know, it's just them always. It's amazing. Yeah. And shout out to, thank you for joining Patreon, by the way. Shout out to you. Listen, just those those behind the scenes things that we show there, those are for you, okay? Not for you and everybody who didn't do Patreon. That's for you to enjoy. But I wanted to say that um our podcast, which you've said that, you know, it's about wisdom and it's about, you know, kind of all of these things that we we teach and these perspectives that we share um through our experiences and so on. And I I I want you to understand that you are here because you're someone that uh broadens uh us and and the people who listen to us. You're someone who will um add to our wisdom. You know, we we we bring in I wisdom isn't based on age, it's not based on age at all, yeah, right. Um, I wouldn't even say wisdom is based on experience. Wisdom is is based on a lot of experience, a lot of diverse experiences, not just experience, you know, like this. It's experience like this. And so um one does not become wise unless they are willing to expand. And that's why you are here and you are not only here, but you fit, you fit into what this podcast is all about.
SPEAKER_02You fit our brand. You fit our brand, Ira, but not just that. You're courageous. Yeah. And when I sat in the backyard overlooking the Koi Pond and listening to the waterfall, and we were just chatting about it, and I just kept pressing you and pressing you, but why? But how? And that's when one, that's what I knew you were in.
SPEAKER_01But I also without being able to sew, without being able to sew.
SPEAKER_02But I also picked up on your reticence to talk about it because it seems to me that you're the person that puts ink to paper, and that's your style of communication. You know, and and then you open it up to the world, you know. So our platform may be this speaker and this podcast, and your platform is so much more, you know, so far-reaching and permanent.
SPEAKER_01And so we're grateful that you said yes to to do this. Um it it means it means a lot. Um what Leslie and I are really interested in is to um uh is to is to bring more uh joy and light and um expansiveness into the world. And um when I saw your paintings and I knew you before I knew that you were an artist. And when I saw your paintings, and I'm gonna bring it up in a little while, because I don't want people to think I'm crazy. I want them to see why um, you know, why I I Leslie and I both were so struck by what we saw. And for me, it was like, oh my god, all of this, all of this was inside. It had to be inside you to come.
SPEAKER_02We're like, but how? And Ernest is like, you did this? You did this. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01All of it. So um, okay, so I'm um, I don't want to overwhelm. Uh it's probably too late for that. It's probably too late for that. Can I share that?
SPEAKER_02Please jump in lately. Um go. One of my favorites, I pull these off the wall. Okay. You're so extra. Oh, it's framed. Are you kidding me? They said, oh, it's framed. That doesn't count. This frame is the important one. Oh, it's a little blare.
SPEAKER_01Well, we'll put up we'll put up the we'll put up the website, but that's fine because Ira, maybe you want to talk about about this one a little bit. But let me just say why I love this. Okay, go.
SPEAKER_02I love the androgyny of it. I think it can speak to so many people. It can speak to cisgender, transgender, the the image of the person that may be a male or female. They're a component of both. The way that Ira uses the color in this is just so rich and vibrant. And then look, they're holding a flower. It's then it's it's a strong, look at the the strong presence in shoulders, yet the gentleness of the flowers and the pearls around the hips. It's just something that I like to look at. I love the jewelry, I love the color, the strength, and the gentleness.
SPEAKER_01It's there's so many elements that um you know, you know something that I that I just noticed, Leslie, um, is um where the weight is resting. Like it's like the weight uh it's it's kind of they're resting back a little bit. So it's you see you see what I mean? It's like the the weight is on their back leg kind of. And that also is a is a part of who this who this person is. It it's a real strengthening, it's a real kind of grounding thing, you know, that way of of standing. You're much less likely to be pushed over when you take that that stance.
SPEAKER_02It's a position of strength.
SPEAKER_01It is right, right.
SPEAKER_02It is, it is not overt. Yeah, you know, it's like, yeah, don't mess with me.
SPEAKER_01Look, Ira, you got us being um art critics over here. I'm from Brooklyn.
SPEAKER_02Don't mess with us.
SPEAKER_00I'm really happy it came across that somebody can seem powerful even though they're just holding like a flower. Yeah, I'm really happy that came across.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's that's the thing. Do you realize, Ira, like um how powerful your your your work is? And and can you talk to us about about that? How are you feeling in your body when you when you hear people reacting like this to to what you have put into the earth on and on the planet? You've you've given birth to this.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I I've received a lot of um, I would say like positive feedback from like people like all over the world. And like um uh even like some of the feedback I've received in person is very like uh almost shocking to me, I guess, because I consider myself like a I guess a shy person. Um but um people tell me like that my work makes them feel validated and that makes me so happy because sometimes like I'm just sitting in my room and I'm drawing and I'm like this makes me feel so good and like I love drawing like these like people who are so beautiful and it like uplifts me, but to know that it's making somebody else feel beautiful and uplifted and powerful and like especially when there's not enough media, I think, that is like that. Um I've been told um by people that you know um like for a while I had closed my shop and I wasn't selling prints, and somebody messaged me and they're like, I can't find any artwork of like beautiful plus size like people, and I really want to buy your artwork. And they're like, it would be so meaningful, you know, if I can buy it again. Please open up, please open up. Open up, let us in. You know, at that moment I was like, oh, I didn't know there was like uh I guess a demand for it. Following, but um, I mean it makes sense because like I feel like a lot of mainstream media just focuses on like uh I don't know, like Eurocentric, heteronormative, uh gender-conforming, like able-bodied individuals. So for sure. Um it's just like so refreshing to be able to see yourself represented in art. And I feel so happy, like um, it just brings me a lot of joy, and to be able to share that with others is really awesome. I'm like so glad.
SPEAKER_02Another thing, um, when you say when you were speaking about specifically about some of your creations, um they are they may or I don't even like the word plus size, they're normal sized women uh or people. And many of them have hair on their body or hair under their arms, and I'm like, yes, I have hair under my arms. You know what I mean? That's normal people grow hair under their arms, you know? Yeah, um, wow. I mean, just it's almost like the finishing touches are never finished. You know, you have this beautiful work of art, and then to go in and put a little facial hair or underarm hair or body hair or whatever, it's like wow, you know.
SPEAKER_01I I was I was struck by things like that too, just me. Because I um art is something that I studied, and probably if I hadn't gotten into Brooklyn Tech, I I I would have had a career as an as an artist. And and so I know and and it really any any work of creativity that you that the artist gets to choose how much to put in and when to stop and kind of edit themselves as as as you work. And so a part of my reaction to it, um, and you know, it my reaction kind of came in in waves because um I don't know if I told you Ira, but that whole night I was I I I was in tears that whole night. Like I I just had kind of waves as I as I looked and saw new things and realized that um and realized that there was a heart that uh that made this, you know, that it that it that it came out of um uh that it came out of this beautiful heart. It had to have. You know what I mean? And so I thought about oh, this flower that I didn't notice the first time I looked and the significance of it, and you explained some other things that I would not have known because that's not my culture. I wouldn't have known the um the the different jewelry and the symbolism around that. But even just looking at that, I know that every color was was was selected and kind of purposefully placed. And and at some point you said, okay, this is finished. And your, you know, your um you you had finished kind of delivering what was in your heart space, and uh I felt every every bit of it, every bit of it. And it's making me get very emotional because this is what I want for the world, you know, this is what I want uh the world to be is to allow people to uh um show their their their hearts and humanness imperfections and perfect in fact and and in whatever whatever ways um they've they're gifted to to show it. Um and so uh it's it's a you you are you're shy and then you create this art that is so like badass. It's like straight up badass. Like how how is that? How is that living in that in the same body? Like yeah, talk about that. How is that living in the same body?
SPEAKER_00Um I mean I think um I was like many people socialized, I guess, to be to like conform or you know to be quiet or to like go along with um you know what society's asking. And I think making my art is a part of my own little like rebellion, I guess.
SPEAKER_02Subversive.
SPEAKER_00My yeah, my own way to like express like I'm not going to go with the status quo. And I I think there's nothing wrong with just existing, there's nothing wrong with having body hair, there's nothing wrong with being a certain size, and like I include like stretch marks and like wrinkles in my pieces because they're all part of being a person, you know, and like I think um so much of like mainstream beauty focuses on like youth, and that's like so strange to me because like I'm personally looking forward to like aging that's a blessing, and that's not a it's not given, and it's like uh it's something people should like aspire to, I think you know, to like grow old and like change with time, and right um and in terms of like beauty and love, like I can't wait to see what I look like and what like my partner looks like when we're old. Like, I'm so excited for that, and yeah, I express some of that excitement and joy in my art.
SPEAKER_02Oh okay, all right. Uh so is it time for me to show another piece?
SPEAKER_01You can, but I can also why don't I pull up the website so people can see it without the glare? But I would like them to see the ones that you have. Why don't you do that? I don't listen, I've got one over there and another one over there, okay? So Leslie didn't even give me a chance to get one for her.
SPEAKER_02No, oh, I don't wait.
SPEAKER_01As soon as I showed her your website, the order was placed. I didn't even have a moment to let me just say to gift you one.
SPEAKER_02I knew Ira before I knew they were an artist. I know me too. You guys were holding out on me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I usually don't start with the and feel shy about it. Right.
SPEAKER_02So I went, I asked you, you know, where shall I go? And I I didn't even let Ira know that I was looking, you know.
SPEAKER_00And yeah, I didn't know until I saw the order, and I was like, oh, okay.
SPEAKER_02And I thought, and he wrote me the another thing, in addition to being a fantastic artist, Ira writes letters and notes, and I call her writer notes. I mean, this young person writes letters and puts stamps on envelopes. So in addition to with with calligraphy, handwriting. So in it with my art pieces came this beautiful letter, you know, that obviously I've kept. Yeah. And they've written me a number of times since then. Yeah, it's a beautiful thing. It's a beautiful thing. Yeah, yeah. When we were together, you stopped at the post office and picked up some stamps.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, it's so sentimental. I keep all my letters and I look at them. Um, I've been sending mail since like high school.
SPEAKER_01Yeah wow. Yeah, wow, good for you. Love that, love that. Okay, Les show show those and then I will bring up the scene.
SPEAKER_02Another one of my favorites.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, there we go. That's a good one. Wow. I mean, just look at the look at the detail.
SPEAKER_02Look at the butterflies in their hair. Yeah, yeah. The jewelry and but look at the there's fangs.
SPEAKER_01What is what is that thing?
SPEAKER_02Look, look.
SPEAKER_01What's what's the symbolism around that, Ira?
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so um I was raised Hindu, so a lot of my um a lot of mythology ends up coming into my art. And in Hinduism, there are um, you know, so-called like demons, I guess, or like uh people who are deemed as like evil or like othered, and um they are also racialized, um, I would say, and they are depicted as like dark-skinned and are like attributed negative, you know, like qualities and like America, yeah. And there's honestly like a lot of like um favoritism towards like lighter skin tones and like a lot of mythology and things like that. And I remember learning about these characters and um uh some of them in like Ramainam, that's uh like one of the mythologies. Um uh they're called Asaras, and they have like fangs and they have dark skin. And a lot of them are said to be like uh living in like Sri Lanka, which is where my parents are from.
SPEAKER_02And I kind of wanted to like I guess reclaim that and just kind of show like you know beautiful tresses and butterflies and gold jewelry and happy joy, yeah, and flowers around and color and vibrance.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I just wanted to reclaim that um, you know, um after the genocide in Sri Lanka, like a lot of people have been scattered, and there's a lot of like um, I guess fear of expressing like pride in one's own background. And like by drawing these asaras as like beautiful and like you know, worthy of praise and admiration, um, it's kind of my way of saying, like, you know, we're beautiful too, and like we should celebrate like um like different beauty and like celebrate others and like just like trying to reverse othering entirely, right?
SPEAKER_01Wow, wow something else, Les. One more you get to see, and then I'm bringing up the site. One more you get to show, I mean.
SPEAKER_02I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna pull up anymore, but I have a question that I thought about as you were speaking, Ira. How is your work received from others in the Southeast Asian community? People who do absolute, you know, who know this history and the mythology.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, um, I will say um when I've like spoken to my extended family about my work, um they like they seem to really like it. And I'm pretty surprised, I guess, because you know, like I guess those attitudes don't really come forth in like normal interactions, but like um yeah, I've received like a lot of like positive feedback, and people seem to like my work, and like um I recall one time um when I was tabling, there was like a South Asian auntie, I didn't know her background, but um she was there with her daughter and they were looking at my work at the table, and the the mom was saying, like, oh wow, there's so much beautiful like women and like snakes, and she was like very surprised and like taken aback. And but in general, she seemed very like um positive towards it. So um I hope that like it's received well, but um yeah, I mean sometimes I worry about it seeming like sacrilegious, I guess, because in some sense a lot of traditional like Hindu art is skews towards favoring like light-skinned goddesses or like depicting uh you know certain um I guess aesthetics, you could say. So um, since I'm doing something different, I hope it doesn't like you know rub people the wrong way. But if it does, also like too bad because like you know, I'm here, I'm brown, I'm queer, I'm gonna do what I want to do. So that right there, yeah, that right there, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Said in the most demure tone, like exactly, but but really it's like a dropkick, right?
SPEAKER_02Right, but that's what's so impressive. You present as this shy, seeming very soft-spoken, um obviously respectful and beautiful, and then you come out with pow-down, you know, like these pieces that they're shouting from the rooftops to me, and now they're shouting from my bedroom walls.
SPEAKER_01I I I I you know, all of this, this whole conversation, um, what uh what Ira is sharing and also what is in the art is the what I what I love about life, that they're there are all of these intersections. You know, we don't have to just play in one in one circle, right? We can have all these layers and the coming together of things um a little to a little a little tributary, quick, quick, quick. I I sometimes in my in my head, when things don't seem or when I think that others don't see the connectedness in um the way that I think or the way that I bring things together, I think about a scarf and and how oftentimes a scarf has all of these colors in it, right, that you wouldn't normally put together. But then when you see it in a scarf, either with um whether it's symmetrical or not symmetrical or abstract or whatever, and you see all of these colors together living beautifully, you know, layering and all of that, it's like, well, that's really beautiful, and that makes sense. And no one would think to put chartreuse next to fuchsia, but on the scarf, it looks amazing. And that's a part of what's coming up for me in in what you're describing, Ira, that you know, in in the broader sense, um I think that's where beauty is, that you bring together all of these unexpectedness, all of these things that are um, you know, and and that's where the beholder gets to see what they see, because there's all of this, these, these um parts and and pieces that come together, and then everyone can look at it and and um be attracted to or not, because art doesn't have to be attractive to everyone. It doesn't make it not art because you know, um, but but that is what um I think a part of what is so powerful and um you know just uh again brought up this emotion for me is because I saw the different things in waves. Yeah, it wasn't kind of a one-time thing.
SPEAKER_02So and what I most appreciate in addition to just the beautiful colors and the style of the print is because I know Ira and I know their backstory, just you know, wow, it's it it's it speaks to me. Yeah, you know, I have a lot of artwork, I I collect a lot, but um these paintings um prints behind me, they're jazz prints, but I don't hear the music and they're not speaking to me in the way that these other prints are speaking to me.
SPEAKER_01Wow. So that's kind of profound.
SPEAKER_02Listen, every every now and again.
SPEAKER_01Every quarter you say something profound. Um I'm gonna bring up town.
SPEAKER_02Let's run out of the town. Let's bring up the site, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm gonna try to do this.
SPEAKER_00Um, Les, you may have to um I just want to say I think every episode, Auntie Leslie brings up something profound.
SPEAKER_02So thank you, love.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'll give you that. I'll give you that. All right, I'm gonna share. Where is it sharing? I see it. You see it?
SPEAKER_02Oh, yeah, we see it. Nice.
SPEAKER_01Oh, it's beautiful. All right, so um um Ira, I'm gonna go through. I love what this says. I'm gonna read this. Um, Ira is an illustrator from New York whose work primarily focuses on the experience of the South Asian queer-identified community. Much of their art encompasses capturing the beauty of flowers and queer love. Their work has been featured on various platforms, including but not limited to um Batan Magazine, Sinister Wisdom, the Leslie Loham, Gay and Lesbian Museum, and the People's Forum. And now Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn. I'll have to add that. So I'm gonna I'm gonna um scroll down and um either stop me or Leslie. Anyone can stop me. I just want to kind of um make sure that we give a good um sampling. I don't know if we'll get through all of them. Um I like this one too. Yeah, tell us about this one.
SPEAKER_00Um, yeah, so uh I guess I don't always draw like you know, like beautiful people. Sometimes I just like drawing like nature things or cute things, and I love like how whimsical life can be, and I like um just like expressing like happiness and joy. And sometimes that's just like a little bug outside, and you're like, oh this, you know, this guy's just like a is this piece for sale? Um, I don't have any, no, I don't have any prints of this one.
SPEAKER_02We need to work on that. I was thinking about buying that for my granddaughter, Aiden. Oh I would love her to uh be an early art curator, and this would be a great piece for her. We'll we'll talk about.
SPEAKER_01We'll talk about we'll talk. Okay, so these are um the digital paintings. So you have um digital paintings and you also have oil paintings, yeah? Yes, I haven't updated the oil painting portion of my website. Okay, so these are the digital ones that um I'll go through and again I could stop on each one for an hour.
SPEAKER_02Yes. Um you got about two minutes. Okay, okay. I've got that one.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I'm gonna scroll. Wow. I might need to add some stunning. Stunning, stunning, stunning.
SPEAKER_02Oh, look at the chains.
SPEAKER_00Okay, I'm gonna um I really like drawing um figures with like shorter hair sometimes because um I remember when I first cut my hair short. Um my mom was like, Oh, are you never gonna wear saris again? And I was like, No, I still like them. And like Uh I think there's kind of like a idea that like once you choose something you can't have the other. And I think you can have shortening. Yeah. And you can honestly do like whatever you want. And you know, like I just like doing that.
SPEAKER_01So and it's it's not like this permanent decision.
SPEAKER_02This this is what I like is Ira is that you show through example of different possibilities and out-of-the-box thinking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, for sure. So this this is the one that I have here.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_01And um yeah, I I I definitely balled over this one. Um I did not see that the the um the roses were what were actually being shot um uh you know towards towards something. Um that that realization. I don't know why, maybe I was just stuck on something else, came a little a little ways after. So I love that one. And I love because her stomach looks like mine.
SPEAKER_02And mine.
SPEAKER_01Um here's some more. Lovely. Yeah, not the Bantu knots. Oh, did you notice that the they're cowrie shells? You are we went looking for cowrie shells while I was there.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I called a couple stores asking, like, do you have any, please?
SPEAKER_01So I'm not gonna show all of them because I want people to come. To go on the website and yeah, but I do want to just really quickly show um one of the oil paintings.
SPEAKER_02Um just to show that the website isn't updated.
SPEAKER_01Here's one.
SPEAKER_00This is an oil painting, I know, but yeah, this one's pretty big. Um it might be like 16 by 14 or something. Wow. Wow. Okay, all right. So shall I stop sharing this?
SPEAKER_02Is this for sale also?
SPEAKER_00No, I have sold it to another um artist, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay. See, didn't we tell you? Didn't we tell you? Didn't we tell you? I'm sorry if you're crying. I'm so sorry, not sorry. This is this is this is what this is what it this is what this is what happens.
SPEAKER_02And this is what happens. I spent the whole like for a couple of hours just bothering them, like, okay, tell me again, what were you thinking? And and what does this mean? And you tolerated me, thank you.
SPEAKER_00No, I appreciated it. It's like nice to I guess articulate it because a lot of it is just in my mind and then on the paper. So yeah, it's nice to get it out.
SPEAKER_01Awesome. Well, well, here we are.
SPEAKER_00We're here.
SPEAKER_01This is awesome. We're here.
SPEAKER_02Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_01We really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_02I felt funny asking you because I wasn't really sure if you wanted to speak about it, and you know, so pressure, but no pressure. So thank you. Thank you for I know this is not really your comfort zone. You communicate in other ways, but we really appreciate it.
SPEAKER_01You was just you are awesome. Yes, thank you both. I really appreciate it. We love you so much. Um, and um the website is a y r a n i irani.com. And um please go check it out. Feel all the fields, let let them flow, um, place some orders because um this this this this needs to be in your space. This you know, I talk about joy and and living in joy, and your surroundings need to bring you joy when you look at things um in in the space spaces where you live, um, it should it should reflect joy. And so we encourage you to support um iris art and um and the iris. Iris art and iris heart. Woo!
SPEAKER_02But you know, and and by owning a piece, one of these pieces, it also says something about your heart space, about what you want to portray. And when people come into your space and say, What is this about? This is unusual. You know, you can tell a little bit of the story also. Yeah, um, you know, it's doing your little part at making the world a little bit nicer, a little kinder. Kinder, spreading more love in the world, you know. Absolutely.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01All right. Okay, well, thank you.
SPEAKER_02This is the other episode of Black Boomer Besties from Brooklyn. Brooklyn!
