Read The Tragic Story Behind This Beautiful Word Art Of A Gay Couple

By James Dinh

January 12, 2017

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and the intricate artwork in honor of couple Matthew Ogston and Nazim Mahmood is no exception to that rule as artist Michael Volpicelli's sketch of the pair has been making the blogosphere rounds once again.

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Volpicelli's interpretation of the former engaged couple goes deeper than just a poignant representation of gay love. It honors Mahmood, who committed suicide days after his family refused to accept his sexuality or 13-year-long relationship with Ogston due to their Islamic religious beliefs.

Ogston went on to provide the artist with words that describe his former fiancé as well as several of the words that one said to another before his unfortunate passing. "Matt has dedicated his life to helping other people to find acceptance in the world and to help teach families tolerance and love for fellow gay family member," the artist wrote of the collaborative project on his Instagram. "His message is worth spreading across the globe!! Matthew please keep spreading messages of hope and compassion to families that could really use a little help do to religious, personal, or conservative reasons! You have a true voice of #compassion! "

#InstaSize #gayrights #unity #pen #compassion #gay #ink #art #artfido #draw. The entire drawing is made of words that one gentleman said to his fiancé before he passed away. Some words I used to to create this drawing also were used to describe his fiancé before his fiancé took his life because his family could not accept the fact that he was gay. It's a sad story but a story worth telling! Www.nazimandmattfoundation.org @artsartistsartwork

A photo posted by Michael Volpicelli (@masterwork_artistry) on Jul 28, 2015 at 12:29am PDT

Ogston has gone on to dedicate his life to Mahmood's legacy with the Naz & Matt Foundation, which was set up in 2014. "Naz and Matt Foundation exists to empower and support LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex) individuals, their friends and family to work towards resolving challenges linked to sexuality or gender identity, particularly where religion is heavily influencing the situation," a statement on the organization's website reads.

Click here to hear more about Nazim's story.

Photo: Facebook/Masterwork Artistry