Monique Burts is a wearable artist with a background in sculpture. She received her degree in sculpture from Herron School of Art + Design and now works as a wearable artists and costume designer, presenting shows for all under the alias Mo Gio. Using unconventional materials and methods to create stunning pieces for shows and the runway, Monique’s artistry is the first of its kind to hit the Art & Soul showcase. Learn more about her work below!

I first started designing wearable art garments during a 3D foundational course at Herron School of Art + Design when I was a student. We had a project to make something 3D. I really wanted to make something fashionable and wearable, but I didn’t have the funds as a college student. I took all of the paper out of the printer at home, then made these shapes to turn it into a dress. That was my first garment.

After that, all of my work was centered around that moment. Every year, the art school has an annual wearable art show. I think the standard thing to do is to create one garment, or one piece, but I took the show very serious. I would design three to seven pieces, and then I would do casting calls and build a team of professional hair, makeup and nail artists. That’s really how my career got started with wearable art, and I enjoy using those unconventional materials and creating fashionable works.

Yes, I’ve always loved fashion. I don’t recall this myself, but my parents tell me about this time at church when they got me dressed for the day in black shoes. Apparently I had packed my bag with bright, colorful shoes and changed into them mid-service, because I wanted to have a look!

I used to make these aluminum foil outfits at home all the time which my mom would be really upset about, because apparently aluminum foil is expensive. I would go through all the foil trying to make jewelry and outfits for myself. I’ve always loved fashion, and furniture too. Which is kind of interesting, because my background is in sculpture and my degree is in sculpture. I enjoyed furniture shopping growing up. I loved everything about it—the light fixtures, the tables, the beds, as well as all the props they used to make it seem real.

Ultimately I felt myself being pulled more into the direction of fashion, and turning pieces that would feel like furniture or sculpture into things that you could wear. My future goal is to create things that can double as both. I’d love to make something that could be presented at a show, but then it could become a sculpture or a light fixture in the house. It’s interesting to see the way those inspirations intersect.

I would definitely say Iris van Herpen. Once I drove to Cincinnati to go see her exhibition. It was the last day to see it, it was snowing, I was sick, but I had to go see it. It was incredible and life changing. I’m always so impressed by the way she intertwines fashion and technology and the way she does it so artfully. I admire how she’s able to build a team who can understand her vision and bring it to life the exact way that she sees it.

I also love Elsa Schiaparelli. Her legacy inspires me so much in the way she leaned into unconventionality when so many fashion houses weren’t going in that route. I’m also really inspired by Pat McGrath. I’m always inspired by people who lean into unconventionality and go against the grain. Also, Arielle Goodman, she designed the earrings I’m wearing. She’s a young, Black woman from Philadelphia, and I always boast her work because I love her eye for design. Diana Ross, because I love boldness and how she makes it easy for you to see the picture she’s painting or feel like you’re there.

Tony Matelli, he’s a favorite sculptor of mine. Simone Lee too, she’s an incredible Black woman and sculptor who dives a lot into the Black feminine experience and Black identity as women. Sonia Sanchez, I can’t forget her, the poet and writer. I’m inspired by a lot of people, and also the models that I work with and my beauty teams. I’m so inspired by their work and the passion that they pour in.

I think what inspires me the most is my tenacity and resilience. I fight for everything that I want and I make it happen no matter what. Even as a student doing those shows, my parents would be so frustrated because I would literally empty out my entire bank account to buy everything I needed for the shows. I have a lot of fight in me.

It took me ten years to get my degree in sculpture, because there were so many things that were trying to stop me. I got through, even if that meant working almost 70 hours a week in retail to afford school. I look back at all those moments that tried to stop me and now I know I have the fight to keep going, and I’m always going to have that fight. I’m always going to get what I want, and make sure that it happens how I want it to happen.

I’m most excited to be the first wearable artist in Art & Soul. I know how big of a deal it is to be selected for this program, so it’s a huge deal to me as a wearable artist being the first to present at this showcase. I’m excited to introduce people to a really good wearable art show and introduce them to the magic of it.

Also, I’m excited for paying my respects to Madam Walker. Her legacy is so important, and I’m excited to show my collection that’s inspired by her—it’s going to be a celebration of Black hair and tenacity, because Madam Walker was extremely resilient and tenacious, and she had the courage to do everything she wanted to do. So as a Black woman, I’m really proud to pay my respect to her and do her justice.

I love God. God has my back through everything. I feel like our relationship looks like me trusting God and trusting the universe and trusting the Divine Spirit to lead me to do what I’m meant to do and forcing me to trust my instincts.

When I first graduated from high school. I went to a small, private, liberal arts university. I was there doing something that I was unhappy with, going through the motions. I left that school, and started working in retail at a shoe store. Working in retail shaped a lot of my life and career now, because there I was able to express myself through my fashion, dress how I wanted to, and I was able to help people. I started diving back into my art. I started painting again. I started sculpting again, and then I built my portfolio for Herron.

That all looked like me simply trusting God. During that time, I didn’t know what was going to happen and I felt lost. I did what I had to do and met God halfway. Sometimes that meant working multiple jobs—I was trying to do what I could to make my dreams come true, and trying to follow my passion. It’s been trusting God, releasing whatever is not meant to happen, and trusting everything will fall into place. Whatever happens is meant to happen. So much of my journey, as an artist and as a woman, has been trusting and learning how to fully, honestly trust my intuition.

I would like to start by saying that I feel like Black history should be celebrated year round—monthly, daily, weekly, hourly, every minute—because as a Black woman, I understand what we have given to the world and I understand how much we have inspired culture and innovation. Black history is so rich.

The biggest thing I take away from Black History Month is tenacity and resilience and fight, but also resourcefulness. I think about my ancestors who were enslaved and how they were able to create so much beauty from the scraps they were given—the rich traditions of braiding, quilting, or soul food came from that. A lot of what I do aligns with my ancestors. I really enjoy creating something out of anything I can get my hands on. There’s a lot of beauty in that. That resourcefulness, resilience, and determination to create something beautiful out of nothing and to do whatever I need to make it happen is what my work is all about.