We created the Creativity Everything Connection Fellowships program to support brilliant creators in the Toronto area. There are currently seven Fellows and we are highlighting them one-by-one in these profiles.
Niya is a multi-disciplinary artist passionate about film, poetry, and mixed media. She states that being Black and visibly Muslim meant she rarely saw herself represented. This inspired Niya to start a page called Habasooda where she uses art forms such as film and data-based graphics to share diverse Muslim narratives. Habasooda has given her a space to share the stories of racialized Muslims, through their own lenses.
Moving forward with her creative practice, Niya hopes to further develop her skill set. As a self-taught artist, she is interested in going deeper in her art form and would love to try different forms of filmmaking. She especially wants to try working with 35 mm or Super8 cameras as a different form of storytelling. Niya would enjoy branching out as an artist and using other mediums to continue sharing stories.
Niya is looking forward to collaborating with other artists or assisting others with her skills such as video editing, graphic designing, and social media strategy. Niya is eager to share feedback, cultivate a community of BIPOC artists, and flourish together.