Creating Worlds Where Black Kids Can Fly: Minneapolis Painter Brit Sigh on Marcus and Khyah
- Rebecca Gilbuena
- Aug 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 2
In his northeast Minneapolis art studio, painter Brit Sigh is giving flight to a pair of extraordinary children. His recurring characters, Marcus and Khyah, are starry-eyed Black kids with butterfly wings, painted into vibrant worlds where they embody resilience, imagination, and joy.
“I just wanted to make a world where the main characters were these Black kids,” said Brit. “Because you don’t see that in contemporary art—at least not in a positive light.”
Marcus was the first to appear on canvas. Inspired by Brit’s own childhood, his nephew, and a childhood friend, the boy is reflective and weighty.
“I projected a lot of myself onto Marcus, like a younger version of me at 10 to 12,” he explained. “He’s contemplating stuff, thinking about the heaviness of the world, or even just small things.”
Khyah emerged from Brit’s younger sister and niece. “My sister growing up was a little spitfire, but she had a softness too. And my niece has that same fire with a huge imagination,” he said.
“Khyah is a fierce but humble self-warrior, with a flower crown that represents royalty and self-confidence. She knows herself. She’s like, ‘I’m her.’”
Together, the two characters allow Brit to process emotions while creating empowering images of Black youth. “Whatever mood I’m in, I put it into the paintings. It’s an outlet to get that angst out,” he said.
Marcus and Khyah Take Flight
Marcus and Khyah have already taken off—literally. Brit’s work is featured on digital kiosks throughout downtown Minneapolis and in a large painting at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport.
The airport piece, Airplane Mode, shows Khyah sitting on a plane wing.
“She has butterfly wings, so she can fly, maybe faster than a plane. But she chooses to take time for herself, to shut everyone out,” he said. “That came from me being overwhelmed with phone notifications. I wanted to just throw my phone away and create something, and I painted Airplane Mode.”
The hoodie Marcus wears also carries personal weight.
“When Trayvon Martin was murdered, I felt that to my core. It could have been me,” Brit said. “So I put the hoodie in my paintings in a positive light, to show it's okay to wear a hood in your head—that's what it's made for—and not be considered as something dangerous or a thug.”
A Self-Taught Path
Brit didn’t follow a traditional path into painting. After studying nursing and psychology, then working in retail and even running a furniture business, he taught himself design and illustration through YouTube. He built steady freelance work, including projects for Bleacher Report, before dedicating his energy to painting in 2022 as he was going through a divorce.
“It was a rough year. I moved cross country with my dog, rebuilt myself, tried to lose weight, taught myself to paint. It was something to keep my mind off reality,” he said. “By 2023, I was happy with where I was at.”
Brit Dreams Big for Marcus and Khyah
Looking ahead, Brit wants Marcus and Khyah to spread beyond the gallery walls. “I want to ride this out and go as hard as I can with these characters,” he said.
“Collabs with shoe companies, maybe a cartoon, murals, TV, pop culture—that’d be really cool. I want kids and adults cosplaying them, with the wings and flower crown.”
He points to Chicago artist Hebru Brantley as an inspiration, noting Brantley’s collaborations with brands and expansion into graphic novels and film. “I want it all, if that makes sense,” Brit said. “I want producers to come to me and say, ‘This is fire. We need a show.’”
For now, he balances painting with his day job as a designer for a sports apparel company. But the vision remains clear: Marcus and Khyah are meant to soar.
“I just want them everywhere,” he said. “Murals, TV, within pop culture. These kids belong in the world.”
You can view and purchase Brit's artwork by visiting his website, britsigh.com.
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