Maya James
Political artist · writer · activist
My name is Maya Sophia Ananda James, a multidisciplinary social practice multimedia artist, graphic novelist, author, writer, arts educator, journalist, and recipient of the Vanguard Award in ArtPrize 2023. My work thrives in collaboration with communities and organizations serving undervalued groups, including but not limited to Black women and Black LGBTQIA+ individuals.
Art is the weapon of choice in my family against white supremacy. In 1955, the Snoddy family fled Texas in the dead of night, eventually settling in sunny Los Angeles. After our family was driven off our land and out of the state, my father found freedom within his dream to escape a lot of the evils of Jim Crow. Breaking barriers, my dad became the first in his family to attend college, earning a master's degree in Fine Arts and becoming one of the most prolific Black artists of his time. While he resisted being categorized as a "Black" artist, I embrace the responsibility of claiming our identity as "Black" artists.
My nuance is that I am a byproduct of the unpleasant intersections that the children of our world sometimes represent or result from. My work is dedicated to portraying the resilience of Black people and creating art that challenges harmful assumptions through untold stories that are essential for our future.
My career started in journalism while pursuing a Political Science degree when I was a teenager in college. The pivotal moment was a Collegiate Associated Press Conference with my community college newspaper, where I pitched an idea to YR Media despite their initial lack of interest. That led to my first work as a youth correspondent, focusing on controversial subjects, race relations, and racist violence in northern Michigan. My writings were featured in the New York Times Race/Related column, USA Today, USA Today College, and YR Media.
Responses to that literary work prompted my decision to leave my predominantly white hometown — a source of trauma — and pursue a career in art centered around Black femme identity. With the publication of "LUKUMI," I became the first Black woman to participate in the National Arab American Museum Artist Residency at the City Hall ArtSpace Lofts, housed in the same city hall that once hosted the reign of segregationist Orville L. Hubbard.
My artistic pursuits go hand in hand with community engagement and social justice. My work is rooted in strategic social-practice initiatives such as Come As You Are, an upscale art auction celebrating Black LGBTQIA+ leaders — half of the funds raised were donated to Legacy House, an LGBTQIA+ youth housing facility in Kalamazoo, Michigan, run by OutFront Kalamazoo.
