Sugar Momma by Ray Arcadio

Sugar Momma, 2023, Acrylic on paper and foam board on canvas, 18 in x 9 in

Sugar Mama: My abundance is blessed by supreme beings. My treasures are bombastic and my strength is your weakness. I sit on a throne of blood brought into existence by your barbarous consumption. My dream is your nightmare where control is embedded in psychological warfare. You live in my dream and suffer the consequences of my infinite universe. My youth is your forest fire, watered by years of fear and violence. I’m yo mama.

Ray Arcadio is a New Jersey artist, born in the Dominican Republic. He is known for his InShapeUniverse and Poprox styles. Arcadio’s work is about the immigrant mind, identity, and the human struggle to truly understand oneself. Ray’s work encompasses masks, symbols, urban and Indigenous markings as well as socio-political messages. Whether in the form of superheroes or through his urban stylization referencing his Caribbean roots, Arcadio’s work is playful and thought-provoking. Ray Arcadio obtained a B.F.A from New Jersey City University. His background is in graphic design and street art with numerous murals around the east coast accredited to him. He is a founding member of Jersey City’s own culture-jamming collaborative group Artfux, who were pioneers in street art. Arcadio has exhibited extensively around the United States and has appeared in various newspapers, magazines, and television shows. Among his solo shows he has also participated in numerous group shows throughout New York and New Jersey, and was chosen as one of 30 artists to represent the state in the “The Visual Imaginary of Latinas/os in New Jersey,” sponsored by Rutgers University’s Center for Latinos Arts and Culture. Arcadio’s work is in various private collections including the Jersey City Museum in Jersey City, NJ, The Museum of Modern Religious Art at the University of St. Louis in St. Louis, MO, and the Museo Moderno de Arte, Santo Domingo, RD.