Today we’d like to introduce you to Mok Basterd.
Hi Mok, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Not sure if this is where my intro begins but hello! I’m Mok Basterd. I’m a multi-media artist and genderless drag persona.
Most kids begin their artistic journey as 2D illustrators and I’m no different. With a webcomic currently in the works, I draw often. Even my non-2D pieces typically begin as a sketch, whether it be an annotated diagram or a rushed, scribbled concept using the Snapchat drawing tool. Drawing gifted me the eye I’ve continued to develop for all other mediums.
I came into my transness in middle school and avoided makeup entirely until getting into cosplay. I was and still am drawn to artificial characters, things like robots, puppets, clowns, dolls, etc. The theatrical look of the designs forced me to face paint.
As I entered my late teens/early adulthood I dreamt of becoming a club kid in NYC or someplace in England like a modern-day Blitz Kid, which led to me eventually giving drag a try. I’d always wanted to explore it but didn’t think I could because I’m afab. Needless to say, I didn’t have much elder queer guidance back then.
At age 17 I set up a makeshift photo area using the curtains in my bedroom and started experimenting with looks. I quickly realized it was just like creating an OC (Original Character) or self-insert. I had yet to understand that it was all the things I loved about drawing, cosplay, character creation, theatre, painting, etc. combined in one.
As of today, I’ve settled on referring to what I do as multi-media art, the subject of which being my drag persona, Mok.
That’s what makes the most sense to me. I aim for every image or video I stage to look like a painting, if not an uncanny snapshot. Drag with an atmosphere and lore, if you will 🙂
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Mental illness and gender dysphoria continue to be the biggest roadblocks on the path towards creating art. I’ll focus on the ladder for personal reasons.
I wasn’t ready to accept my identity as a nonbinary person and thought I was trans male from Middle School to age 20. I wore a binder to school every day and even whilst doing female-presenting drag, I’d bind.
Going out, not just to the club, but anywhere, I feared being perceived as what I am, which is an afab person.
I’d struggle picking out looks that wouldn’t show the straps of my binder and envied my friends and colleagues that got to wear harnesses, revealing bodysuits, or go shirtless onstage.
The dysphoria limited my art/character, limited my body, and teamed up with my undiagnosed, undetected mental illness to convince me that I would never be who I wanted to be. This now plays a huge theme in the art I create.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I create subtle horror images (and hopefully more videos soon!) of Mok Basterd, an uncanny pedestrian whose catfish-like existence feels forced and unsettling. At their core, they are a mockery of a person. I experiment and stray from this at times but that’s my main vision. Thematically, it’s all about identity. The performativity of life and being perceived.
I’m inspired by the existentialism of advertisements and the discomfort they create. As an audience, you feel targeted, and there’s a dread to them when they come into our line of sight. We know it’s unavoidable that someone’s always trying to take advantage of us.
I think I’m known for putting an emphasis on the horror of cleanliness rather than filth. I often wear latex disposable gloves and white to embody a sterile image and appear overly groomed. It gives the impression that this person has been tampered with, which unnerves people.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
First, I need to shout out Adriana Sparkle and Aquarius over at Cocktails, St.Pete. They host an open mic drag show every Wednesday and were my safe haven and introduction into the world of drag.
It was at their show that I’d get the opportunity to meet my drag mother Draggedy Anne. She welcomed me into my found family, Hell Haus, the members of which are Annie Mae, Sue Cyde, Spitgerl, Dollya Black, Berlin Hell, Waka Shame, and myself.
Before meeting Draggedy, Apollo Infiniti welcomed Spitgerl and I into his family and I still consider him blood! Other than that, my best friend Madison has supported me relentlessly for years, whether it be by hyping me up, taking photos, or simply reminding me ‘Yolo brother’. Love you dude.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mokbasterd/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/mokbasterd
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@mokbasterd
