madeiradesouza
Forum Regular
I want to thank the CDG community and moderators for welcoming me here. I appreciate all the feedback that I have received from my postings here. Let me provide a belated self-introduction so you can know me for who I really am.
I'm a gay male author. and 3D digital illustrator/artist. You may find that I differ from other gay authors/illustrators/artists for three distinct reasons: The main difference comes from my focus on telling stories about mature, masculine men who are sexually attracted to other mature, masculine men. I steer clear of several deeply embedded traits of American gay culture that can be found in film and in print--eccentric or flamboyant behaviors, alkyl nitrites, dance music, trendy clothing, trendy hair, gay men who think age 30 is old, and so forth.
A second reason is that my creative works belong within the bara genre. This little word is shortened from barazuko. Translated from Japanese, it means rose-tribe, which is a code phrase for gay men. Originated in Japan decades ago as gay men created works for other gay men, this genre has not yet been widely embraced internationally. Perhaps this is due to the way bara depicts same-sex feelings and sexual attraction to masculine, muscular men who sometimes behave in aggressive, violent, or exploitative ways towards one another. Bara is often wild, adventurous, challenging, and unflinching in the ways it mirrors real life behaviors of gay male dominance, aggression, violent tendencies, and exploitation. This genre does not deal with romantic gay love or what it feels like to experience your first heartbreak in gay life. My storytelling and illustrations are within a USA version of bara based on American culture and sensibilities. My works is more accessible to those whose native language is English, plus my work is minus the exclusive emphasis upon Asian men found in Japanese bara.
I created this original illustration/art to show visually what bara is:
The third trait that sets me apart from other gay authors is that my creative works explore conflicting and opposing compulsions that all men have. On one side there are impulses men have towards sustaining life, engaging in love, and being attracted to others. In the opposing direction are impulses men have towards being aggressive, engaging in violence, and, causing pain and death. For centuries, artists and storytellers around the world have found inspiration in these two opposing human compulsions that no man is able to resist or impede merely by his conscious will alone. I am not entirely aware of any specific intent on my part to explore this duality of man's compulsions. Nor do I plan my creative efforts so that I purposefully can reveal psychoanalytic findings. I just continue to work and create. What turns out turns out.
I am okay with depicting man-on-male affection:
But, I prefer to explore themes that have much more of an edge:
A very recent example of my writing can be found here:
http://desouzaweb.com/about-desouza/moon-men-deep-inside/
Madeira Desouza
San Francisco
I'm a gay male author. and 3D digital illustrator/artist. You may find that I differ from other gay authors/illustrators/artists for three distinct reasons: The main difference comes from my focus on telling stories about mature, masculine men who are sexually attracted to other mature, masculine men. I steer clear of several deeply embedded traits of American gay culture that can be found in film and in print--eccentric or flamboyant behaviors, alkyl nitrites, dance music, trendy clothing, trendy hair, gay men who think age 30 is old, and so forth.
A second reason is that my creative works belong within the bara genre. This little word is shortened from barazuko. Translated from Japanese, it means rose-tribe, which is a code phrase for gay men. Originated in Japan decades ago as gay men created works for other gay men, this genre has not yet been widely embraced internationally. Perhaps this is due to the way bara depicts same-sex feelings and sexual attraction to masculine, muscular men who sometimes behave in aggressive, violent, or exploitative ways towards one another. Bara is often wild, adventurous, challenging, and unflinching in the ways it mirrors real life behaviors of gay male dominance, aggression, violent tendencies, and exploitation. This genre does not deal with romantic gay love or what it feels like to experience your first heartbreak in gay life. My storytelling and illustrations are within a USA version of bara based on American culture and sensibilities. My works is more accessible to those whose native language is English, plus my work is minus the exclusive emphasis upon Asian men found in Japanese bara.
I created this original illustration/art to show visually what bara is:
The third trait that sets me apart from other gay authors is that my creative works explore conflicting and opposing compulsions that all men have. On one side there are impulses men have towards sustaining life, engaging in love, and being attracted to others. In the opposing direction are impulses men have towards being aggressive, engaging in violence, and, causing pain and death. For centuries, artists and storytellers around the world have found inspiration in these two opposing human compulsions that no man is able to resist or impede merely by his conscious will alone. I am not entirely aware of any specific intent on my part to explore this duality of man's compulsions. Nor do I plan my creative efforts so that I purposefully can reveal psychoanalytic findings. I just continue to work and create. What turns out turns out.
I am okay with depicting man-on-male affection:
But, I prefer to explore themes that have much more of an edge:
A very recent example of my writing can be found here:
http://desouzaweb.com/about-desouza/moon-men-deep-inside/
Madeira Desouza
San Francisco
