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NAILA KELETA-MAE

Artist-Scholar

Bringing together art and scholarship in all I do.  
A photo of Naila Keleta-Mae at a photoshoot for her 'Grateful' Album. The background is a coral red and Naila is smiling

As a multidisciplinary artist, Principal Investigator, and author, I bring art and scholarship together to express Blackness and freedom in different mediums.
For me, freedom moves through taking space to do the things you love.

Short Videos

In 2024, I wanted to draw on Black, feminist, and queer film practices to experiment how poetry and video can intersect in creative ways to advance public discourse on blackness and freedom. With the support of Aljumaine Gayle, I had the opportunity to produce four short videos: Black Cake, Her Flowers, Gizzada, and Digital Dust

A still image of Naila's & Aljumaine Gayle's short videos
Grateful

Written and recorded in 2024 after a five-year pause from songwriting, the ten-track project marks a shift in my creative approach: from analysis to offering, from bearing witness to building vision. Taking inspiration from Zak Ové’s reflection of  ‘not to bleed on the canvas but to propose solutions,’ my Grateful album embraces my full self — feminist scholar, artist, mother, and woman

A photo of Naila Keleta-Mae at a photoshoot for her 'Grateful' Album. The background is a coral red with the album title.

Performing Female Blackness

My book, Performing Female Blackness, published in 2023, examines what private and public performances of female blackness reveal about race, gender, and nation and considers how the land widely known as Canada shapes these performances.

A cover of Performing Female Blackness

The Black and Free typeface was created and designed by TAFUI, whose artistry and design work contribute to the project's unique visual presence.

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