Bio|CV
Nailah I. Akinyémi-Sankofa (b. Chicago) is a prolific visual-cultural artisan, fashion and furniture designer, published writer/poet, dancer and choreographer living and working in Austin, Texas. As an interdisciplinary artist, Nailah’s primary approach to her artwork, design, studies and activism is rooted in her Yoruba, Akan, Edo and Kongo cultural traditions as expressions of identity, creative aesthetics and Diaspora material culture. Nailah majored in interior design and studio art at Columbia College in Chicago. She continued her academic pursuits at Central Texas College and then the University of Texas at Austin’s design and studio art programs. Along with her many other creative-business endeavors and community artistic and cultural projects, she has organized and curated many art exhibits. Nailah is also a cultural activist and historian, completing three books and maintaining her dedication to her ancestral spiritual and cultural traditions as a ritual specialist in her Yoruba and other West Afrikan traditions.
EDUCATION
University of Texas at Austin. BA Fine-Studio Arts Major
Central Texas College, Killeen TX. Interior Design and Fine Arts
Columbia College, Chicago, IL. Interior Design & Studio Art
Additional Studies:
Austin Community College. Austin TX. Engineering Graphics
University of Texas at Austin. Textile and Apparel Program
SOLO EXHIBITION
"Alaasé: Messages Within the Conjure” — George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Austin, TX. August 2019 through January 2020.
"Alaasé: Messages Within the Conjure” — African American Museum Dallas, Dallas, TX, May 2020 [postponed due to COVID-19]
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS [†curated, co-curated and/or juried these exhibits]
2019 Toma Mi Corazon — La Pena Art Gallery, Austin TX
2018 100% Art Exhibit — George W. Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Austin TX
2010 Fresh Black Paint: Tightrope Realities† - New East Art Gallery, Austin TX
2008 100% Art Exhibit — George W. Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Austin TX
2007 Approaching Equinox† — Studio Exhibit, Design Works!studios, Austin TX
2006 Legacies of Dust† — George W. Carver Museum and Cultural Center, Austin TX
2005 Mosaic/Rhythm† — Group Artist Studio Show, East Village Studio, Austin TX
2005 East Village Artists’ Studio Tour — For E.A.S.T. ’05, East Village Studio, Austin TX
2002 Yoruba Day Celebration and Exhibit — Center for African and African American Studies, University of Texas, Austin TX
2002 Ujima/Ujamaa — Group Studio Exhibit, Design Works!studios, Austin TX
2002 Open House — Center for African and African American Studies, University of Texas, Austin TX
2002 The Debt? † — Sponsored by the University of Texas’ Annual Heman Sweatt Symposium on Civil Rights, The Old School Gallery, Austin TX
GRANTS + AWARDS
2020 United States Artists/Tipalti Relief Grant, Chicago, IL
2020 Big Medium Artist Relief Fund, Austin, TX
2019 Six Square Cultural Heritage District Program Grant, Austin TX
2018-19 Cultural Arts Division Capacity Building Fund, Austin TX
2016-17 ARA Fashion Industry Residency-Fund, Austin TX
2005-11 Art In Public Places Project Commission, Austin TX
1996 Project Grants, Cultural Arts Division, Austin TX - (also 1994, 1995 and 1991)
1993 Outstanding Achievement in Fine Arts, Pro Arts Collective, Austin TX
SELECTED PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
2020 Rudy Green, Austin TX
2020 Cathy Runnels, Austin TX
2018-19 Bamidele Agbasegbé, Oakland, CA
2010 Connie Johnson, Austin TX
2008 Sharon Mooney, Austin TX
2007 Robert Anderson, Austin TX
2005 College of Fine Arts, University of Texas, Austin TX
2005 Tammy Javey, Cincinnati OH
2001 Dr. Omi J. Jones, Austin, TX
COMMISSIONS [Public, *Private, Corporate]
2020 Africa House SXSW Interactive, Austin TX
2015 NTUMA’PA Paper Dolls and Map Treasures Installation, Capital Metro Transportation Authority, Austin TX
2007 Dell Children’s Hospital, Austin TX
2005 First Night Austin, Austin TX
2005 College of Fine Arts, University of Texas, Austin TX
2002 Living Architecture, Austin TX
RESIDENCIES
B. Harris - Park Plaza Artist in Residence Inaugural Live-Work Program | 2019-2020
George W. Carver Museum and Cultural Center: Inaugural Visual Artist in Residence. Studio | 2019
Box Bazaar Project, City of Austin Container Studio/Business Incubator Space Recipient, Austin TX - 2018-2020
ARA Arts-Fashion Business Incubator-Residency Fund, Austin TX | 2016-2017
SELECTED ARTICLES PUBLICATIONS INTERVIEWS PANELS
2020 Alaase: Messages from the Conjurer, The Seen Magazine by Hiba Ali
2019 Apéjo: Council of Elders Panel Discussion, GW Carver Museum
2019 KOMO-AKOFO Fireside Chat, GW Carver Museum
2018 Austin Fashion Designer Invited to Debut at New York Fashion Week, The Villager Newspaper by Jinida Dorsey
2018 African American Fashion Designer Black History Month Feature, KVUE News 24 by Quita Culpepper
2017 Tradition Flows Through Designer’s Garments, Studio, Spectrum News 8 Austin by Dawn Okoro
2013 Fashion: Runway Underground Promotes Diversity in Austin’s Fashion Scene, Austin American Statesman by Nancy Flores
2012 Spotlighting African Design, Impact News by Christi Covington
2009 Art for Days, The Austin Chronicle by Robert Faires
2006 Legacies of Dust, The Austin Chronicle by Nikki Moore
2005 Interior Dialogue: Austin Artist's Grand Design, Austin American Statesman by Melanie Spenser