Koi aka Taz (Nadiyah Whitaker)

My art is meant to make the viewer face uncomfortable topics and develop more open perspectives on controversial issues. I address subject matters that people ignore or do not want to discuss, so most of my art is on a social justice platform. My art is bold, progressive, aggressive, and confrontational. I am in love with acrylics and working on watercolors. The ability to have texture and dimension through acrylics assists me in emoting emotions and feelings. Lately, I have discovered that I enjoy making sculptures. My artist name, Koi, is inspired by my deep connection with Japanese culture and art. The Koi fish symbolizes perseverance, strength, courage, and transformation, which I can identify with.

Invisible Crown

Lesson Prompt: Each of us has a lifetime of memories, sensory experiences, important people, places, and experiences – magnificent, traumatic, and everything in between, that add to who we are. It is impossible to see from the outside all that we carry, all that we are. Imagine if there was a crown around your head that held these moments, memories, people, and places. What is your invisible crown made of?

Invisible Crown, 2024

Illustrated Books

Black Genocide: Domestic Terrorism and Punishment (27 pages), 2024

Architecture

Bundle of Luv Doula Center, 2024

Architecture description:

Bundle of Luv:

This is a doula center that gives mothers a tranquil place to give birth to their miracles. It has a state-of-the-art medical center without the feel of a sterile hospital facility. Each room is themed and geared toward providing the mother and family with a space to welcome their new baby. It embraces the magic a woman’s body produces during pregnancy.

I wanted the mother to feel loved, cared about, and special during this trying time because people forget that giving life teeters between life and death for the woman.

Everything in the doula center is for the mother’s comfort and establishing a family/unified environment. Upon walking up to the center there is a double fountain and a statue of a woman’s pregnant body; to cherish the miracle within. I want people to feel supported and welcomed. That the staff is more like a second family. The building is filled with huge windows and a sky light to embrace the openness and natural environment. I want to remind mothers that pregnancy is natural and very important. The shape of the building resembles a baby rattle and the colors are a fluid reminder that gender is not solid. I also incorporated a rock garden so women have a space to walk around and be at peace.

Painting