Maurice James Jr.

Self-taught contemporary artist and graphic designer. Born in Philadelphia now based in Washington, D.C.

My work is an act of Revisionist History / Black Propaganda. I create to fill the voids in my own visual inheritance, remixing the American iconography that once excluded Black faces into a new, sovereign reality. Growing up in Philadelphia, my imagination was shaped by comic books and films—spaces where Black heroes were often "hidden" or non-existent. Through digital graphics and remix aesthetics, I reclaim these spaces, positioning Blackness not as a footnote, but as the foundation of the American imagination.

I view my practice as "time travel". By casting Black Americans as victors, deities, and protagonists in historical propaganda and pop-culture moments, I am building a Black Utopia—a mental and visual space where fear and discrimination are replaced by beauty, power, and genius. This work is designed to affect both the conscious and subconscious, fostering a sense of "Black Confidence" that allows the observer to see themselves as they have always been: divine and central.

Ultimately, my art is a portal to the something Black and Familiar but also Black and Different . It is a celebration of Black love and brilliance, offered as a roadmap to a reality where our culture is not just surviving, but properly promoted and eternally celebrated.

Photo by Edward Underwood @underwoodphoto