Artist Bio:
Aliyah Denea, is a Haitian-American artist whose work explores the intersection of nature, culture, and the human experience. She incorporates natural materials from shells, to clay, forging a deep connection to the earth while honoring her ancestors. Blending contemporary techniques with traditional practices, Aliyah often repurposes secondhand objects to weave narratives of transformation and integration.
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Her practice includes painting, sculpture, installation, and mixed media, through which she tells stories inspired by West African, Haitian folklore and traditions, her work reflects a commitment to decolonization. Through her practice, she seeks to preserve ancestral knowledge and Indigenous traditions, and invite folks into reflection on how stories and identities have been altered by colonization and the transatlantic slave trade.
She is developing a new body of work that explores ancestral stories as they transform and evolve throughout the African diaspora, with future plans to further her studies in African Art History and Cultural Anthropology.
​Exhibitions -​
2019 End of year show, Slater Museum, Norwich CT
2022 Artist Debut, Main Plug, Norwich CT
2023 Twenty x 20, The Annex, New London CT
2023 Found Beauty, Hygienic Gallery, New London CT
2023 Arciolinda, Garde Arts Center, New London, CT
2024 Disparate visions, Hygienic Gallery, New London CT
2024 Budding Artist, Rose Arts Festival, Norwich CT
2024 MAS 49th Annual Juried Show, E.C Scranton Memorial Library, Madison CT
2024 The Opening Show, The Local Gallery, New London
2024 Annual National Open Juried Exhibition, Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich CT
2025 Salon Des Independents, Hygienic Gallery, New London CT
2025 The Black Table, The Table Gallery, New Haven CT
2025 The Sacred Femme, The Cntr, Middletown CT
2025 Rooted, Hygienic Gallery, New London CT
2025 If The Birds Could Sing, Hygienic Gallery, New London CT
Public Art ​
2021 Mural at Stray Cat Hostel in San Jose, Costa Rica
2021 Mural at Main Plug, Norwich CT
2022 Mural Concrete street barriers on Broadway, Norwich CT
2022 Mural at JoJo's Breakfast and Mexican Restaurant. Norwich CT
2024 Art Stroll, on Bank ST, New London CT
2025 Mural at Corrigan Correctional Facility, Uncasville CT
Artist Residencies
2023-2025 Hygienic Art, New London CT
2022 - Norwich Art Collective, Norwich CT
Panels and Presentations
2025 Woman in the Arts Panel Talk, Lyman Art Museum, New London CT