foladarya's circular logo depicts the lower portion of their face featuring slightly parted lips and one braid with transparent beads resting against their cheek. Lava lamp-like swirls of color appear in the background. To the lower right, "foladarya" is written in cursive.
Ever-evolving, Darya Nicol (they+them) is a multi- and inter-disciplinary artist, writer, and digital strategist.
“foladarya,” the guiding principle of their work, is a reimagining of their middle and first names, combining the Yoruba word for “honor,” and the Persian word for “sea”. foladarya is a reminder that reimaging oneself is honoring oneself and the conditions for life.
Their artistic and written works have been used to explore, deconstruct, reimagine, and rebuild material, mental, and spiritual conditions, urging a more expansive honoring of self, one another, love, and the natural and supernatural worlds. In this practice, they conjure their art and writing from the unique beauty of queered Black existence across space and time.
Darya’s digital strategy and content curation have been leveraged to support audience growth, engagement, policy wins, and multi-platform intersectional storytelling for national organizations and local and national initiatives.
A collaged alter featuring images of Black people, messages of liberation, and a mirror comprised of broken CDs and glass.
A detail shot of an assemblage piece titled “Healing Is A Portal, Too,” comprised of multi-colored braided hair, CD shards, broken glass, beads, and prayer candles.
A mural featuring painted dark brown hands + black text that reads: “Free Us All.” Multi-colored handprints appear dispersed against bright green paint. Above the dark brown hands reads the prompt: “What Does Freedom Mean to You?” Sticky notes sit below the hands.
A close-up of a sculpture comprised of CDs and broken glass.
A gif titled “Static,” created by Darya.
An edited clip from a video titled, “Show Me,” focuses on healing in tandem with spirit, Earth, and nonlinear time—scripted, filmed, and edited by Darya.
A short film titled, “Wetin Nah Yu Name?” scripted, filmed, and edited by Darya about identity and place.
View enlarged prints here.
2022: DIGITAL COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15), 8x8 ($27.27), 12x12 ($55.55)
2021: ACRYLIC, SHARPIE, WATERCOLOR PAPER COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 8x6 ($33.33), 16x12 ($66.66)
2021, ACRYLIC, DIGITAL COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15), 8x8 ($27.27), 12x12 ($55.55)
2022: DIGITAL COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15), 8x8 ($27.27), 12x12 ($55.55)
2019: ACRYLIC, SHARPIE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15) 8x8 ($27.27)
2020: DIGITAL COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15) 8x8 ($27.27)
2021, ACRYLIC, DIGITAL COLLAGE
AVAILABLE IN 5x5 ($15.15) 8x8 ($27.27) 12x12 ($55.55)
2018, PEN, PENCIL, SHARPIE PHOTOSHOP
AVAILABLE IN 5X7 ($22.22), 8X11 ($44.44)
2018: SHARPIE, CHALK PASTEL, INDESIGN
AVAILABLE IN 5x8 ($25.25)
2010: PENCIL, ACRYLIC
AVAILABLE IN 5X7 ($22.22), 8X11 ($44.44)
Prints
Email Darya at foladarya@gmail.com to purchase prints. Darya will work with you to mail the item or arrange a local pick up/delivery. Delivery fees apply, pick up and delivery is limited to NYC, and a sliding scale exists for Black folks who are queer, trans, disabled, formerly incarcerated, sex workers, and/or folks existing at any of these intersections.
Commissions + Collaborations
Interested in conjuring something new? Contact Darya at foladarya@gmail.com. If you and Darya agree on the vision, they’ll send you a sample strategy, an outline of a script, or different compositional options for artistic renderings. The final price will be calculated based on time spent, supplies used, and project size.
For more, visit patreon.com/foladarya
