Meet An Artist & Founder Who Creates Body Diverse Candles

Jodyann Morgan, the founder of CTOAN Co., creates hand-poured, trans-inclusive, gender-free candles. The candles come in several styles, including three named Brooklyn, Ash, and Frankie. Each celebrates body diversity in a unique way. Morgan calls her wax creations a form of “accessible art.”

“There are candles, and then there are candles,” begins Morgan. “Some candles are certainly an art form. Four of the designs I sell were my own original concepts, designs and developed using my ideas and creativity to celebrate and honor fat bodies of all genital configurations. We keep the price point of the candles as accessible as possible, hence calling it ‘accessible art.’”

Before CTOAN Co., Morgan says she never dreamed of starting a business. “When I started making candles as a hobby, I was looking for something interesting and different from the same old, same old candles.” She says she found a candle mold she was excited to try out, and ended up posting an image of the candle she’d made on Instagram.

“One of my followers asked if I'd make a fat candle, and it was like a lightbulb went off in my head,” says Morgan. “Fat candles! After a whole lot of practice, failures, testing and more practice, CTOAN was born. I was determined to ensure that my candles represent a variety of fat body types and genital configurations. When I couldn't find everything I was looking for, I made them.”

“Fat people want to see art that looks like us. We deserve to see our (fat) bodies celebrated and glorified,” says Morgan.

Morgan recently launched leg candles, and added mini versions of Frankie, Brooklyn and Ash to CTOAN’s fat body wax melts. More candles are coming early next year. She says that it’s inspiring to see reviews from customers who say that her candles have impacted the way they look at their bodies. “It feels good to make an impact on people's lives, no matter how insignificant a candle might be.”