About Tiya Caniel
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 based in North Carolina, and I thrive when I am well-fed, loved, rested, and connected with my joy. I have been practicing healing arts as a yoga & meditation instructor since 2016. Sharing creative processes with others has been a passion of mine since 2010. I have been a visual artist and creative my whole life.
artist statement
My multidisciplinary practice — spanning painting, mixed media, jewelry design, photography, drawing, and original writing — is rooted in exploration, reverence, and liberation. I create to honor Black joy, ancestral wisdom, and the deep love I hold for Mother Nature and community. Influenced by yogic philosophy and the teachings of my own spiritual path, my work invites others into presence, curiosity, and self-reflection.
Through abstraction, I explore what it means to imagine new worlds and possibilities beyond imposed limitations. In my Walking Meditations series, a single continuous line meanders across the surface, inviting the viewer into a gentle, breath-led gaze — a visual meditation designed to ground and attune. My Dreamscapes are studies of my inner landscapes, rooted in the surreal and expansive nature of dreams. These pieces speak to the quiet power of imagination as resistance and remembrance.
Collage and mixed media works often incorporate fragments of older pieces, found objects, fabrics, and hand-painted paper — a process of layering memory, texture, and time. Some works become more representational, honoring ancestors and the natural world, while others remain intuitive and abstract, guided by a deep sense of joy and play.
Across all mediums, I center vibrancy, freedom, and sensory experience. My practice is fluid and improvisational — driven not by perfection but by presence. I aim to incite joy, wonder, curiosity, and reflection in others, offering my art as an invitation to slow down, tune in, and connect more deeply with self, lineage, and the sacred.
Art Industry experience (CV)
TIYA CANIEL MAYNARD
Born 1981, Alexandria, Virginia
Lives in Harmony, NC | Works in Charlotte, NC
Education
2003 — B.A., Sociology (Social Welfare Concentration)
Winston-Salem State University, Winston-Salem, NC
Solo Exhibitions
2025 — There She Go, Love Tiya Caniel Studio, Charlotte, NC
2025 — Dreamscapes + Walking Meditations, LOOM Co-Working & Gallery, Fort Mill, SC
2025 — Sacred Pathways, Not Just Coffee, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Walking Meditations, Platinum Gallery at the VAPA Center, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Spring Feels, Pauline's Tea Bar, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Dreams + Meditations, Iredell Arts Council, Statesville, NC
2024 — Tiya Caniel Maynard, HOME Plxce, Charlotte, NC
2023 — Here She Come, Love Tiya Caniel Studio, Charlotte, NC
Group Exhibitions
2025 — Fantastical Resistance, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2025 — Held In Bliss, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2025 — Held In Bliss, Myers Park United Methodist Church Art Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2025 — The Seed and The Sower, Fayetteville Arts Council, Fayetteville, NC
2024 — Show and Tell, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Reverence: For Our Future Ancestors, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Breaking The Chains, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2023 — Kissed By The Sun, Festival Park, Fayetteville, NC
2023 — Kissed By The Sun, July 4th Celebration, Fayetteville, NC
2023 — Kissed By The Sun, Marcus Doss’ Exotic Hair Odyssey, Fayetteville, NC
2023 — Kissed By The Sun, Something in the Jungle: A Curated Cookout, Charlotte, NC
2023 — Kissed By The Sun, R&B in the Park, Festival Park, Fayetteville, NC
2023 — Artists in Theaters, 1776 Musical, Blumenthal Arts, Charlotte, NC
2023 — Who Am I?, Freedom Communities Hub, Charlotte, NC
Commissions
2025 — Dreamscape Painting (22 x 30 in.), Frontline Solutions, Washington, DC
2024 — Walking Meditation Painting (6 x 10 ft.), HOME Plxce, Charlotte, NC
Awards & Residencies
2024 — Culture Bearer Residency, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, NC
2023 — BEAR HUG Grant, CLT is Creative, Charlotte, NC
2022 — HUG Micro-Grant, CLT is Creative, Charlotte, NC
Press & Publications
Merrell, E. (2025, February 17). Artist Tiya Caniel Finds Artistic Flow. QC Exclusive Magazine. [Tiya Caniel Maynard]
https://qcexclusive.com/artist-tiya-caniel-finds-artistic-flow/
Iredell Free News (2024, February 6). Iredell Arts Council to Host Opening Reception for Harmony Artist.
https://www.iredellfreenews.com/news-features/2024/iredell-arts-council-to-host-opening-reception-for-harmony-artist-on-february-7/
Maynard, T.C. (2023, December). Tiya Caniel. Photo Trouvée Magazine, Issue 12: Ancestral Treasures
Professional Experience
2025 — Curator, Discovering Destiny, Portal 22 Gallery, Charlotte, NC (featuring Destiny Blue)
2025 — Host, Violent Positivity, Portal 22 Gallery, Charlotte, NC (featuring Chalice Meikle)
2025 — Assistant Muralist, Art Walks CLT & CLT Urban Design, Charlotte, NC
2025 — Curator, Held In Bliss, Myers Park United Methodist Church Art Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2025 — Curator, Held In Bliss, The Arts Factory, Charlotte, NC
2024–2025 — Gallery Owner, Portal 22 Gallery, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Assistant Muralist, Grapevine Historic York, York, SC
2024–Present — Art Teacher, Intuitive Art Workshops + Wellness Practices, Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Curator, Are We Free Yet?, Citrine Gallery at the VAPA Center, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Curator, Are We Free Yet?, Kimpton at Tryon Park, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Curator, Colors, Citrine Gallery at the VAPA Center, Charlotte, NC
2024–2025 — Lead Curator, Curation Committee, VAPA Center, Charlotte, NC
2023 — Curator, Here She Come Solo Exhibition, Charlotte, NC
2010–2018 — Co-founder & Creative Director, Jun E Caniel, Inc., Fayetteville/Statesville, NC
2010–2015 — Artist in Residence & Art Teacher, Jun E Caniel Boutique, Fayetteville, NC
Community Involvement
2025–Present — Chair, Board of Directors, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, NC
2024–Present — Board Member, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, NC
2024–Present — Member Rhizome Artist Collective, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, NC
2024 — Culture Bearer, QC Family Tree, Charlotte, NC
2023–Present — Board Member, Black Artist Forward, Fayetteville, NC
2016–2024 — Board Member, The Sanctuary in the City, Charlotte, NC
2011–2012 — Creative Director + Production Manager, F.A.M.E. Events, Fayetteville, NC