“If praying to a Saint, hope they are Black”
 
St. Maurice
Did you know that the patron saint of southern Germany and parts of France, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland, is a man of African origin?
He is Saint Maurice of Aganaum, born less than 250 years after Jesus Christ. He became a general in the Roman army, stationed in what is now France. Saint Maurice and his six thousand African soldiers were ordered to put down a rebellion against the empire. When Saint Maurice discovered they all were Christians, he and his men refused to fight their fellow Christians. They also refused to sacrifice to the Roman gods. For this, the emperor had Saint Maurice and nearly all of his Theban Legion executed. A basilica in Aganaum, Switzerland enshrines their relic remains today.
 
 
Maurice James Jr. is a self taught Contemporary Artist and Graphic Designer. Born in Philadelphia, PA, Maurice now lives and works in Washington, DC which has been his greatest source of inspiration as an artist.
Growing up as a young man in the Wynnefield section of West Philadelphia, he collected comic books, baseball cards and watched films that while considered classics, did not prominently feature Black People in the heroic role. 
Using digital graphics and merging genres that have not traditionally been combined to recreate well known pop-culture moments, Maurice’s art answers questions such as “How could Black folklore integrate into comic book culture?”, or “What if Black artistic genius was hailed in the light of deity?”.  His work strives to create a glimpse of a reality in which Black People and Black Culture are one with Pop Culture.