ARTIST

WRITER

CRITICAL THINKER

ITERATIVE BEING

a circular image depicts a darksinned face with puckered lips and one blond cornrows. Irridescent water floats in the background. To the lower right, "foladarya" is written in cursive.

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About foladarya

Ever-evolving, Darya (they+them) is a multi-disciplinary artist, writer, critical thinker, and iterative being.

“foladarya,” the guiding principle of their work, combines the Yoruba word for “honor” and the Persian word for “sea.” It is a reminder that consistently and intentionally reimagining oneself is key to honoring the conditions of life.

Their art, writing, and critical analysis have been used to explore, deconstruct, reimagine, and rebuild—urging a more expansive honoring of self, spirit, one another, and our multidimentional world(s).

Work Samples

“Show Me,” Video, 2024

“Sweetness is Calling: Keep Answering” 2025, Mixed Media Digital Collage
A collage depicting multiple generations of Black mothers, children, and writers surrounded by sugar, the cosmos, and prayers.

a black hand making the "come hither" gesture, surrounded by pink, blue, green, and yellow splatters of paint. — “Bloom,” 2019, Acrylic Painting
A scaled down digital print of an acrylic painting featuring a Black hand emitting and surrounded by the energy of creation.

a collaged mirror of broken glass and broken CD-Rs. framing the mirror are artistic and written by renderings of Black people communing, creating, thinking, learning, and healing. — “Find Your Mirrors,” 2024, Assemblage Collage
A community altar featuring a mirror comprised of broken CD-Rs and glass, accompanied by renderings of Black people communing, creating, thinking, learning, and healing.

A still image featuring characters from the cult classic, “Bottoms.” Text teases 8 educational questions about abusive behaviors not to be tolerated from anyone.

a self portrait of a black person with an afro puff done in pencil and acrylic. their hand enters through their mouth and exits through their eyes. — “Thoughtfully Worded Actions,” 2011, Acrylic and Pencil
A digital print of an 18“x 24” self portrait of a Black person with their hand woven through their mouth and emerging through their eyes.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS

Phoenix Community Garden, Welcome Sign Revival, Children’s face painting, General Volunteer, 2021-2024
BK Rot Silent Auction, Contributor, 2022
Omi Collective Catharsis on the Mall, Lotus Pod, Contributing Artist, 2019
The Ask Rayceen Show, DecrimNow panelist + vendor, 2018
OutWrite Washington D.C. annual LGBTQ literary festival, MelaNation Zine Artist Reading, Creative Director, 2018.
MelaNation Zine, Lead Editor + Designer, Event Curator 2017-2019