So Baltimore Live Cast Featuring AAVE, Sabrina Blue, Kayden Amore Chloe, Ervena Chloe, Numi Von, Egyppt Chloe, ThGrl, and K-Otic Couture

Photograph capturing the audience during So Baltimore Live at the Baltimore Eagle. The was a free, accessible gathering space for Black queer community during Baltimore Black Pride week.

So Baltimore S.Dot Remix Featuring Kayden, K-Otic, ThGrl, and AAVE. These tracks were presented collectively during the So Baltimore Live listening session.

So Baltimore TwoFold Remix Featuring Numi Von Heights and Ervena Chloe. These tracks were presented collectively during the So Baltimore Live listening session.

Live performance image of  Egyppt Chloe during So Baltimore Live. Each performer presented an individual set within the curated program, contributing to the evening’s blend of drag, rap, and music performance.

Live performance image of ThGrl during So Baltimore Live. Each performer presented an individual set within the curated program, contributing to the evening’s blend of drag, rap, and music performance.

Live performance image of  Kayden Amore Chloe during So Baltimore Live. Each performer presented an individual set within the curated program, contributing to the evening’s blend of drag, rap, and music performance.

So Baltimore Featuring Kayden Amore Chloe.

So Baltimore Music Video Cast

This image captures me standing in the center of the frame, fully embodying the bold essence of Divine Reimagined: Through the Afro-Queer Lens. Edited using Photoshop and Lightroom, I matched the text and graphics to echo the aesthetic of John Waters’ iconic visuals, tying the piece directly to the legacy of Pink Flamingos. The high-saturation colors and dynamic text overlay amplify the theatricality of the ensemble, while the bold design situates the project within a contemporary Afro-Queer perspective. This image serves as a visual homage to Divine’s unapologetic spirit and the politics of camp.

This close-up image features a toy gun with a flag bursting out, displaying the word “Bang” in bold red and white text. While my silhouette looms in the background, partially obscured, the rich red tones and stark black-and-white contrast create a dramatic interplay of color and texture. The visual juxtaposition of the playful gun and the striking silhouette embodies the humor, defiance, and camp aesthetic central to the project. The image nods to the absurdity and theatricality of Divine’s world, reinterpreted with an Afro-Queer lens.

This image captures a moment of raw emotion as I point the toy gun to the left, my face contorted with anger and intensity. The “Bang” text displayed from the gun creates a playful yet subversive tension, echoing Divine’s ability to merge humor with defiance. The high-saturation colors and dramatic expression channel the unapologetic boldness of camp, situating the ensemble and gesture within the broader themes of reclamation and resistance. This image embodies the fusion of theatricality and empowerment central to the project.

In this intense portrait, I stare directly into the camera, aiming the toy gun straight at the viewer. The bold “Bang” text displayed from the gun adds a playful yet confrontational element, merging camp and defiance. My direct gaze and the dynamic framing of the image pull the viewer into the scene, demanding engagement. The high-saturation edits emphasize the rich textures of the gown and the bold reds, amplifying the image’s theatrical energy and homage to Divine’s fearless presence.

This image captures me standing tall, staring off into the distance, exuding an air of regality and defiance. The gaudiness of the gown is on full display, with its voluminous layers of tulle cascading like clouds and catching the light to create dramatic textures. The craftsmanship of the prosthetic bald cap, bold makeup, and sculpted hairpiece enhances the theatricality of the ensemble, blending Afro-Queer aesthetics with Divine’s signature look. This shot highlights the intricate details of the dress and the artistry of transformation, turning the body into a living, breathing work of camp and pageantry.

Set to Suzanne Vega’s Tom’s Diner, this video captures the surreal milk ritual of Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles. The performance begins with the artist methodically setting the stage, lip-syncing to the song’s rhythmic “do do do” refrain while arranging glass cups and a coffee carafe on a table. The overcoat conceals the elaborate ensemble beneath, building intrigue as the performance unfolds. At the pivotal lyric, “And instead I pour the milk,” the artist unveils the milk-dispensing breastplate, transforming the mundane act of preparing coffee into a surreal and absurd spectacle. The video emphasizes the interplay of music, movement, and costume, celebrating the humor, ingenuity, and transformative power of drag performance.

In this performance, set to Erykah Badu’s soulful On & On, the protagonist of Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles takes the stage in the full cheetah-print ensemble. The video captures the dynamic tension of the performance as the artist lip-syncs with commanding presence, building anticipation with each beat. When the iconic lyric “Oh, now I’m feeling high” hits, the music cuts, and the audience is drawn into a moment of playful absurdity as the artist opens the hinged door on the sculptural hat. From the hidden compartment, they pull out a blunt, lighting it on stage in a defiant yet humorous act of self-care. This video blends drag, performance art, and interactive storytelling, emphasizing the camp aesthetic and themes of empowerment and transformation.

This striking image captures the essence of Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles in a moment of bold presence. The full overcoat and sculptural hat dominate the frame, showcasing the layered, dynamic design of the ensemble. In a low, commanding squat, the figure exudes both power and playfulness, embodying the camp and absurdity at the heart of the piece. Photographed and edited by AAVE, this shot encapsulates the multidimensional nature of the work, blending wearable art, drag, and performance into a single, captivating moment.

This image captures the sweeping drama of the floor-length overcoat from Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles. The back view emphasizes the dynamic texture created by pleats, gathers, and bias cuts, which shimmer and shift as the fabric moves. The overcoat’s dramatic length and meticulous construction are designed to conceal and reveal, adding layers of mystery to the performance. Photographed and edited by AAVE, the image invites the viewer to explore the tension between grandeur and detail, a key theme in this multidisciplinary project.

This image highlights the structural brilliance of Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles, showcasing the undergarment and sculptural hat. The fitted cheetah-print leotard, accented with bold black leather binding, emphasizes the strength and precision of the design. The hat, a striking piece of wearable sculpture, features a functional hinge door, adding an element of intrigue and utility. Photographed and edited by AAVE, this shot reveals the transformative elements of the ensemble, focusing on the intricate craftsmanship that underpins the larger narrative.

This video documents the intricate process of creating the milk-dispensing breastplate for Cheetah Café: Bodega Chronicles. Beginning with a base of recycled materials, including an old silicone breastplate and Worbla, the video showcases the transformative steps: shaping the structure, carving compartments, and inserting wine bags that act as milk reservoirs. Viewers witness the addition of nozzles where the nipples would be, turning the breastplate into both a provocative and functional sculpture. The video highlights the artist’s meticulous craftsmanship, resourcefulness, and commitment to creating a wearable piece that merges surrealism with utility. The process underscores the themes of transformation and resilience, embodied through art.

This image captures me standing tall in the Chrome Self Protection ensemble against a textured, grungy urban backdrop. The stark contrast between the shimmering silver of the armor and the muted tones of the background highlights the tension Black queer bodies experience in public spaces: resilience in the face of hostility, strength against decay. The reflective surfaces of the garment reclaim the space, turning it into a stage where vulnerability transforms into defiance. My stance asserts presence, a declaration that I refuse to be diminished by the world around me.

The video for Chrome Self Protection begins with a haunting view of downtown Baltimore's harbor, accompanied by the ticking of a clock. The harbor serves as a metaphor for Black queer bodies navigating public spaces—present yet disconnected, visible yet vulnerable. The soundscape layers ghostly echoes of "AAVE," reverberating like a spectral call to the artist, as the visuals move deliberately between slow, deliberate shots and quick, disjointed flashes. The coverup—a black base adorned with shiny silver dots—introduces an anti-KKK aesthetic, transforming the imagery of oppression into one of power and defiance.

As the ticking intensifies, the video shifts to reveal me fully armored, moving through the harbor in the metallic ensemble. The reflective surfaces catch the light, turning the garment into a kinetic sculpture as I interact with the environment. Scenes alternate between moments of stillness and dynamic motion, culminating in a final composite of me in various poses within

This image captures me entangled in the branches of a tree, wearing the Chrome Self Protection ensemble. The spikes of the armor extend outward, transforming the metallic garment into a literal and figurative representation of the "strange fruit" hauntingly described in Billie Holiday's iconic song. The reflective silver platelets glint in the sunlight, their shimmering beauty clashing with the weight of historical violence and systemic oppression that the tree symbolizes.

The armor, with its sharp cones and impenetrable surfaces, serves as both a shield and a reminder—a protective layer for the body and a stark proclamation of survival. The tree, historically a site of unspeakable racial terror, becomes here a stage for resilience. By inhabiting this space in my armor, I reclaim the tree as a place of defiance, turning the "strange fruit" into an emblem of endurance and transformation. The juxtaposition of the natural and the sculptural forces the viewer to confront the legacy of racial violence while witnessing the power of reclamation through art.

Perched at the end of a slide, clad in the Chrome Self Protection armor, I confront the fraught history of public spaces. The metallic spikes and shimmering surfaces of the ensemble transform the familiar playground setting into a site of reclamation, challenging the history of segregation where Black children were excluded from spaces designated for white children. The slide, often a symbol of joy and innocence, becomes a metaphor for the precarious and conditional nature of belonging in these spaces. The cone structure in the background, echoing the spikes of the armor, amplifies the tension between exclusion and resistance, turning a place of play into a stage for defiance and visibility.