Artist Bio
Maliika Nia-Imani is a Black, fluid femme artist and entrepreneur from the Bronx. Maliika established their small business making wearable art “Mama, I Made It” in 2018. It was reimagined into “Nia Imani Studio” when their art expanded to include metalsmithing. Since completing a video editing course in 2019 at Bric Studio, they’ve worked on independent video and portraiture projects and as an assistant videographer and editor on a live podcast.
Project Description
Maliika Nia-Imani, Malanya Graham, and Blaise Sparda (DreamSeed Collective) will create The DreamSeed Oracle tarot deck, inspired by the artists’ Black and POC queer ancestors and holistic wellness practices. The artists will host virtual conversations on tarot’s relevance to generational, collective healing and lead workshops on design, self-portraiture, and sacred adornment to inform the creation of the deck.
What is the role of art and culture for the future of the city?
“Artists and culture makers are the mirrors and oracles of this city. They reflect the many realities of the people who inhabit New York. Through music, design, visual art, performance, etc. they foretell the future of NY. We all have a part to play in creating the city we want to live in. I remember a young drummer practicing and making money by playing on plastic buckets every day for years on the Bronx bound 4 train. If we can put the resources into the hands of the artists that are already making the city amazing, we would have a NY brimming full of artists and creators that would be ready and willing to give back to the city that poured into them. People who could be creators and teachers of future generations. Right now, we have a city full of untapped talent – people who are in service to their community despite being underfunded and under-resourced. The role of artists and culture makers in the future of the city is to create a city in which we ALL can thrive. To create a culture where inequity is intolerable and to reflect our wildest and most abundant dreams back to us.”
