Mykki Blanco: Poetry Reading

Thursday 24th April 

8-9pm

In this one-off event, Cubitt Programmes and Community Radio welcomes American artist, performer, writer and rapper Mykki Blanco to present new poetry from upcoming collections and recent EP release, Postcards from Italia.

Songs from Postcards are light, lush, and streaked with melancholy, hitting like a breeze on a top-down drive along the Mediterranean coast. Coupled with works from Blanco's previous output the performance draws on the same poetic theatricality that has made Blanco a pioneer and multidisciplinary polymath.

Artist's Bio

Mykki Blanco *1986

Fountain Valley, US

Mykki Blanco is an internationally renowned musician, multidisciplinary artist and writer. Mykki is the creative force behind mixtapes such as Cosmic Angel (2012) Betty Rubble: The Initiation (2013) and Gay Dog Food (2014); These groundbreaking mixtapes along with Blanco's other early releases made the artist a pioneer and originator of the “queer rap” musical genre and paved the way for the possibility of other non- heteronormative and gender-nonconfirming artists to break through. Blanco has created cult musical classic hits including ”Kingpinning”, “Haze.Boogie.Life” and “Wavvy” where they have set an extremely high bar when it comes to the aesthetic visual language that has characterized their musical career.

Beyond their own music and video work, Blanco has made a significant mark in media and pop culture through their performances in other artist’s material. Such examples include their starring role in Madonna’s “Dark Ballet” music video which dealt with a contemporary take on HIV/AIDS related stigma. Their stunning reading of Zoe Leonard’s “I Want A Dyke For President” poem, their role in the experimental “No Leash” art film collaboration with Cody Critcheloe for Shayne Oliver’s Hood By Air brand, and their multi- character performance in the Wypipo short film (as part of their role as guest editor for Dazed Magazine). The multi-faceted artist continued to crossover from the underground having toured with the likes of Bjork, Major Lazer, and Death Grips, while working with such diverse musicians as Kanye West, Devendra Banhart, Amnesia Scanner, Charli XCX, Kathleen Hanna, and Woodkid. Mykki Blanco remains a creative polymath whose journey is as exciting to watch across disciplines as it is to listen to. In 2024 seeking to deepen their studio practice and refine their skill set and technique in visual art, the artist graduated with a masters degree in Fine Art from The Art Institut Gender Natur FHNW, Basel Switzerland.