From the time I was almost four years old, I knew I was an artist. Not because someone told
me, but because I felt it deeply. I was always drawing, building, imagining, and questioning the
world around me. Working with my hands, engaging my mind, and refining technique has
always grounded me; the physical act of making keeps me present with my thoughts. Art, for
me, is both reflection and responsibility. It is how I understand identity, belonging, and
transformation.
For over a decade, my work has been showcased in 30+ international exhibitions, including 12
major shows across Canada, at venues such as 401 Richmond, Venice Lands Art Prize, Yaşar
University, Al-Hamra Arts Council, and Toronto City Hall. My practice merges art, activism, and
community engagement, centering queer identity, gender, and diversity while embracing
decolonized ways of seeing and creating. As a Visual Artist and Creative Changemaker, I
believe artists must understand what they are doing and why. When we are conscious of our
identity, our histories, and the systems that shape us, our work carries integrity and depth.
As an educator and department founder, I have built award-winning programs from the ground
up and mentored more than 100 students toward scholarship-winning thesis projects. Today, as
Operations Lead at NYA, I guide outreach initiatives and ensure smooth, thoughtful operations
across all aspects of the organization’s work. I see arts administration not as paperwork, but as
care, creating structures where artists and communities can thrive.
Understanding identity is essential. So is joy. Sustaining both professional and personal practice
requires balance, curiosity, and genuine enjoyment of the process. My next goal is to help make
the arts sector more economically sustainable and progressive by implementing innovative
strategies and new dimensions of leadership, ensuring artists are empowered not only
creatively, but structurally and financially. Art should move hearts, but it should also build
equitable futures.