This piece started as one painting, as part of the Round Story project, Art on the Fence, hosted by The Arcata Playhouse. The work was done on plywood panels 4×5 and are hanging on the fence by the Arcata Ballpark, 888 F St.

Since the creation of this painting I have gone on to digitally manipulate the piece into a series I’ve named “Yung Kingz” which features five pieces that tell their own stories but also come together for a shared experience. The digital pieces all include traditional Haitian made patterns and fabrics to speak to my Haitian lineage as well as praise the revolutionary work that was born through Haitian independence and how that spark continues to further the fight for Black & Brown justice.

Featuring

• “Yung King” - Blue and Green with multiple characters.

• “BlackBoy Peace” - Meditating character featuring tan and blue pattern.

• “Yung Kingz Tribe” - Three charaters with blue patterned boarder.

• “BlackBoy Jumping” - One character jumping over blue and orange pattern.

• “BlackBoy Joy” - One character over brown pattern.

2021 Virtual Presentation of original work in progress photo & poetry book: “Within These Composition Pages.

By Mo Harper-Desir.

Orignal performance of musical covers, performance, poetry and spoken word entitled “The Covers”.

Featuring singing & poetry from All’Love & Mo Harper-Desir.

A Trip Through Our Caribé

Interactive theater piece telling the story of when enslaved Africans were stolen and brought to The Caribbean, where they met the many different Taino tribes. Told from the perspective of four characters, Rhythm, Joy, Movement and Despair, this journey will take you on a story telling journey through dance, music and culture.

digital Show premiere Sept 2024

“Who Is She” - Poetry, videography, and music EP by Mona Loki

Soft Launch February 2024

“Who is She” - Photo Poetry book and digital visual by Mona Loki

Soft Launch April 2024

Artist Statement: 

Monique, Mo, Harper-Desir is a Queer, first generation, multi-racial artist from the Pioneer Valley, Western Massachusetts. Mo creates using hip hop, movement, poetry, digital visual arts and music.

Mo’s creativity is influenced by her lived experiences through the intersections of her upbringing. Her work speaks to the implications of being first generation and multi-racial, while belonging to many segregated communities. Her work tells stories of triumph, trauma and pain but also that of love, joy and liberation. Mo has a deep love for collaborative arts and using arts to implement and suggest social change.

Throughout Mo’s time creating she has used her art skills in photography and film to harness her ideas around minority identities and the misleading representation, of those identities, within mainstream media.  She uses Hip Hop Theater and Poetry, to bring her stories to life and suggest ideas and concepts around many different social issues like poverty, single mother hood, child abuse, feminism and the weight of dominant culture. Her images and short films are bold, captivating and strong. They spark ideas and create robust conversations of societal review. Mo enjoys creating pieces drenched in nostalgia that speak to the places she found warmth and acceptance in her youth and is inspired to create work that lays the foundation for others to envelope those feelings.