Fatima Jamal On Life As A Body Of Work

A multi-hyphenate in every sense of the word, 28-year-old Jamal is an artist, a dancer, a model, a filmmaker, a writer, and an activist, although she is probably best known for her work as “FatFemme,” her handle on Instagram and in viral circles of the Internet that originated with her ongoing documentary, No Fats No Femmes. In the documentary, the Brooklyn-based artist uses her life and experiences as a black queer femme as both performance art and the platform to explore what it means to not only survive but thrive in a world that others you.

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Fatima Jamal On Fashion, Voguing, and Body Acceptance

Fatima Jamal’s confidence is infectious. In life and on social media, the artist and dancer boldly asserts her presence, unbothered by any opinions but her own. Her self-assuredness comes, in part, from her journey towards self-acceptance, and when Jezebel sat with her at her home in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, last month, it became immediately clear that now is her time to shine. 

Jamal has made a cottage industry of the idea of “FatFemme,” a reference to her ongoing documentary project, “No Fats No Femmes.” It’s a visual protest against the biases of being fat, disabled or having HIV within the LGBTQ community. Through that work, as well as her transfixing Instagram, her persona has grown within New York City’s ballroom community, which has helped her land appearances on FX’s popular Pose. She’s also been spotted on the best and most interesting/inclusive runways of New York Fashion Week, sporting brands like Telfar and modeling for Gypsy Sport.

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