ABOUT TIYA CANIEL
(the person)
visual artist | creative
Peace, peace, peace...
My name is Tiya (pronounced Tee-yah) and I am a human being who identifies as a Black, queer woman. I am a North Carolina-based creative who thrives when I am well-fed, loved, rested, and connected with my joy.
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Artist Statement
I create to flourish...
My body of work combines mixed media, collage, painting, jewelry design, drawing, photography, and original writing to explore themes of Black liberation, joy, cultivating community, ancestral veneration, and yogic philosophy. Sometimes one may find a bit of inquiry related to Afro-futurism and Afro-surrealism as well. The bulk of my work is in abstraction.
Because my creative practice is highly intuitive and driven by joy, I tend to flow between different mediums in my work. Having freedom to explore many mediums is paramount to the process. I have found great joy in working with a combination of paint, ink, pastels, hand-painted paper strips/cutouts/scraps, watercolor, fabric and textiles, and wood. My artistic influences include yoga teachings and philosophy, expressions of Black joy, nature, and the practice of honoring my loved ones and ancestors. I am also highly influenced by artists like Kelley Nicole Palmer, Jasiatic Anderson, CHDW!CK, Yvette Miller, Bunny Gregory, Rosi Tonaco, Bree Stallings, Michael Maxwell, Monique Luck, Olalekan Jeyifous, SAIGA Saturn, Lo'Vonia Parks, Jesse Littlebird, and Roberta Boffo.
My Dreamscapes and Walking Meditations feature continuous line drawings and markings that meander through colorful backgrounds. The intention behind these pieces is to invite the viewer to expand their scope of what is possible, and to find the beginning of the line and slowly follow it with their eyes, while tuning into their breath and concentrating only on the line. Maybe they notice some of the shapes the line creates as they “walk” along and begin to feel more grounded and attuned to self.
My "Halima" pieces are inspired by ancestral veneration. The Halima works also explore the idea of creating folklore that centers Black women/femme folks as otherworldly beings, and makes space for another story to be explored regarding their/our lives and what happens when we transition from this realm. These works are informed by my meditation practice, my sacred self-love practice, my love for my family and Black women and femmes, and my love for spending time in gardens and other green spaces like forests, fields, and meadows.
At the root of my work as an artist are JOY and LIBERATION. They can be found in my use of bright colors, the flow between mediums and art forms, and hopefully the feelings my work incites in others. I aspire to incite feelings of joy, curiosity, intrigue, self-expression, and LIBERATION through my works.
CV | TIYA CANIEL MAYNARD
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Born 1981 in Alexandria, Virginia. Lives in Harmony, North Carolina.
Works in Charlotte, North Carolina.
EDUCATION
2003 BA Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Sociology with a Social Welfare Concentration
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024 | Tiya Caniel Maynard: Walking Meditations, VAPA Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2024 | Tiya Caniel Maynard: Spring Feels, Pauline's Tea Bar, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2024 | Tiya Caniel Maynard: Dreams + Meditations, Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, North Carolina
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2024 | Tiya Caniel Maynard, HOME Plxce, Charlotte, North Carolina
2023 | Tiya Caniel Maynard: Here She Come, Love Tiya Caniel Studio, Charlotte, North Carolina
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 | Reverence: For Our Future Ancestors, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, North Carolina
2024 | Breaking The Chains, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2023 | Kissed By the Sun, Festival Park, Fayetteville, North Carolina
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2023 | Kissed By The Sun, July 4th Celebration, Fayetteville, North Carolina
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2023 | Kissed By The Sun, Marcus Doss' Exotic Hair Odyssey, Fayetteville, North Carolina
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2023 | Kissed By The Sun, Something in the Jungle a Curated Cookout, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2023 | Kissed By The Sun, R&B in the Park, Festival Park, Fayetteville North Carolina
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2023 | Artists In Theaters, 1776 Musical, Blumenthal Arts, Charlotte, North Carolina
2023 | Who Am I?, Freedom Communities Hub, Charlotte, North Carolina
AWARDS / RESIDENCIES
2024 | Culture Bearer Residency, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, North Carolina
2023 | BEAR HUG Grant for $1,000, CLT is Creative, Charlotte, North Carolina
2022 | HUG Micro-grant for $250, CLT is Creative, Charlotte, North Carolina
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PRESS/BIBLIOGRAPHY
2023 Maynard, Tiya Caniel, “Tiya Caniel”, Photo Trouvée Magazine, Issue 12 Ancestral Treasures, December 2023, p. 114-117
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2024 Press Release, Iredell Free News, 2024, https://www.iredellfreenews.com/news-features/2024/iredell-arts-council-to-host-opening-reception-for-harmony-artist-on-february-7/ , February 6, 2024
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PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
2024 Lead Curator, Curation Committee, VAPA Center, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2023 Curator, Here She Come Solo Exhibition, Charlotte, North Carolina
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2010 – 2018 Co-founder/Creative Director, Jun E Caniel, Inc., Fayetteville/Statesville, North Carolina
2010 – 2015 Artist in Residence and Art Teacher, Jun E Caniel Boutique, Fayetteville, North Carolina
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COMMUNITY
2024 QC Family Tree Culture Bearer, Charlotte, North Carolina
2023 – Present | Board Member, Black Artist Forward, Fayetteville, North Carolina
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2016 – 2024 | Board Member, The Sanctuary In The City, Charlotte, North Carolina