written by Andes Hruby | photography by Rob Kerr

Jason Graham created his stage name, MOsley WOtta (a.k.a., MO WO), from the idea that every human is made mostly of water. His interactive performance, writing, poetry, music and movement incorporate into an unique hybrid art form.

MO WO’s provocative hip-hip poetry celebrates inclusion. MO WO began his life in a tough Chicago neighborhood and relocated to Bend at the age of 9.  “I know what it feels like to stick out,” he said. “My best moments are when I get invited to speak at schools, and I can inspire students to step back from being finger-pointy.”

MO WO is a mixed media renaissance man who provokes emotional responses from words, pauses, silences and sounds. “Artistic expression is an infinite resource,” he said. “My work helps me share how art opens the heart and mind in a way nothing else does.”

Way back when, MO WO’s parents found him an old chicken coop to experiment with his undefined art forms.  He has curated many shacks and sheds, but currently he works in a 100-year-old cabin with no insulation.  “My workspace is a holy storage house of creativity. Every artist needs a raw space to create. This is my dome of sacred creative rituals.”