Connect What is your favorite type of art to create?

I love to paint and draw, and I consider myself a mixed media artist. My practice involves working across a range of materials, including oil paint, fabric, fibers, and pastels. For me, painting is a form of mark-making that extends beyond traditional definitions—it can be created using diverse materials on surfaces such as canvas or fabric. During my time at art school, I have expanded my technical skills and conceptual approach by exploring new studios such as printmaking and photography.

Where do you find inspiration?

I find inspiration in my identity and family, often reworking old family photos to better understand where I come from. Though I am Canadian, my roots trace to East Africa and India. I have struggled to fully connect with these cultures, something many children of immigrants experience. My work explores diaspora, cultural translation, and belonging, using art as a way to question, search, and piece together a shifting sense of self. I use material and image to map memory and identity across time

What would you do with $25,000?

With the $25,000, I hope to jump-start a career as a full-time artist. The funds will support travel to places my family originates from—Uganda, Kenya, India, and the Middle East—where I will create work and engage with local communities. I want my experiences as a woman of color to reach a global audience while fostering art as self-discovery and social commentary. My practice challenges oppressive systems and raises awareness through art and community work about the comple forces that hurt us.