ROLE: EDITOR
PEN America's The Sentences That Create Us: Crafting A Writers Life in Prison anthology (Haymarket Books) features the original contributions of over 50 justice-involved writers. ~75,000 copies of the book were distributed into prisons across the United States free-of-charge.
A hand-cut illustrated allegory about the birth of a new world.
This poster was commissioned by Poet-in-Residence Mahogany L. Browne for Lincoln Center’s WE ARE THE WORK series.
It was displayed outside of Lincoln Center during the summer of 2021.
An 80+ page glossy zine of quirky comics. To celebrate it's release, Berl's Poetry Shop in Brooklyn allowed me to bring the zine's pages to life in tactile and participatory mini-installations.
Published in HOBART literary journal, NEW YORK STRANGE was a heartfelt comic series presenting the theater of every day life in New York City.
ROLE: CREATOR
A "stunningly potent archive of surviving" (Aracelis Girmay) that "deals with the difficulty of the body, the human robe that hinders and endangers the soul beneath" (Bianca Stone). Originally published in physical form by The Operating System, the book is an open-access PDF.
DOWNLOAD THE BOOK
ROLE: DESIGNER
Dances For Solidarity began as a letter writing campaign between artists and activists in New York and incarcerated people in Texas and Louisiana. Each letter initiated with the same 10-step Dance for Solidarity as a means to initiate a conversation around movement. Founder Sarah Dahnke invited me to illustrate the dance in zine form.
ROLE: DIRECTOR OF PRISON AND JUSTICE WRITING
Rebranded, revisioned, reimagined and implemented large-scale changes that grew a historical, grassroots program into a high-profile department. The spread of dynamic programs included a prestigious fellowship, through-the-walls mentor program, annual writing contest, public events, and a monthly podcast and publication series.
Designers: Maria Lavezzo, Melissa Joskow, Robert Pollock
ROLE: CREATOR
The #GrowFierce Writing Community supported hundreds of women worldwide in an online writing and self discovery curriculum that matured into digital publications, live workshops such as a State-sponsored cultural exchange in Malaysia, and US-based youth (Sadie Nash) and prison programs (Rehabilitation for the Arts), and a series of public events that paired emerging and established women writers.
Role: Writer & Designer in Residence
Revamped a long-running creative writing program by bringing dynamic professional writers of color that reflected the student body—such as award-winning young adult author Jason Reynolds—to engage with students on stage and in the classroom. A punchy strategic design aesthetic helped student publications become popular among their peers for the first time in the program’s 13 year history.
With Poet Tishon Woolcock
Role: Collaborator
LETTERS was an early example of the possibilities of crowdfunding. Tishon and I share a specific overlap: people who write poems with graphic design degrees from Pratt Institute. This limited edition, out-of-print collaborative poetry book was brought to life through friendship.
SEE THE KICKSTARTER
ROLE: Sister AKA Designer, Photographer
This one is just fun. My sister was making jewelry, and I rallied my community.
ROLE: PRODUCER
An early webseries featuring unmasked, experiential glimpses into the lives of underground New York artists, and the settings in which they create. The Living Room Sessions was streamed on Coodie (jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy) and Chike’s CREATIVE CONTROL platform.
Shot and Edited by Tafadzwa Chiriga
ROLE: CREATOR
"A rare jewel... fresh, honest and loving… a delicate heart like mine."
- Erykah Badu
Executive Produced by Just Plain Ant, the project features Maya Azucena, Jesse Boykins III, Dunce Apprentice and Broke MC; with production by GodLee Barnes, Cazeaux OSLO, Just Plain Ant, Bisco Smith, Cave and The Aftermath.
LISTEN ON SPOTIFY
ROLE: Development Association AKA Designer, Illustrator, Producer
When tasked with making the off-the-beaten path organizational storefront into a cafe that produced earned income, I created a thriving free-to-the-public weekly all-women performance and workshop series, supported by a grant from The Department of Cultural Affairs.
