Meet the Artist & Mentor

<sub>Hello! My name is Charlie. I was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. At the age of 7, my family moved to the US and I fell in love with painting. I attended weekend and summer courses with merit scholarships at Moore College of Art and Design and graduated early from high school. I received my BFA from Tyler School of Art at Temple University. At 21, I received an invitation to attend Concordia University in Montreal, Canada through a fully-funded faculty fellowship. I received my MFA in Studio Arts in 2014. I have a background in teaching, mentoring, and working in Haute Couture fashion design as a Master Clutch Artisan. My work has been exhibited  throughout the UK, Canada, and the USA. I have been featured in multiple media outlets and publications as an artist, curator, and writer including Create Magazine, Alien Literary Magazine, and NPR Radio/WHYY. 

In 2021, I left fashion and returned to working full-time as a contemporary painter and educator. I have a passion for mentoring neurodivergent artists and artists living with disabilities. As a trans curator & disabled community arts leader, it is my mission to help disabled & neurodivergent artists access the necessary tools to develop a unique mindset that will allow them to return home to their studios and continue building their careers. I believe that transformative dark + adverse experiences can become our greatest gifts in the studio. My website will soon be expanded to include group workshops, 1:1 appointment scheduling, and other offerings for any artist looking for a mentor to walk alongside them in their quest for creativity. I bring a deep history of lived experience, education, and compassion to my students and in the studio. I look forward to working together! If you’d like to hear more about Moon Cheese Community mentorship offerings, please send me an email at mooncheesecurator@gmail.com. I am currently offering 1:1 a la carte support sessions around multiple art and career topics. I live and work in Philadelphia, PA, USA.</sub>