Takiyah Harris

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Takiyah Harris is a Haptic Artist who hails from the Greater Chicago Area.  She is currently a resident in Marlborough, works with Deaf Children at Horace Mann School for the Deaf in Allston, MA and at Walden School (The Learning Center for the Deaf) in Framingham.  Takiyah is also a Master Artist and a volunteer at Expressions Art Bar in Southborough.

Haptic Art focuses on creating collage compositions by using materials with 3-D texture.  Harris' use of texture gives her a deeper sense of connection to the artwork and its underlying themes.  Much of her work reflects a narrative of her experience and her interpretation of Black History.  Her artwork is greatly influenced by De'VIA (Deaf View/Image Art), Jacob Lawrence and Emory Douglass.    

Her involvement with Black Deaf History begin in 2014 when she started collecting information from her ancestry, attending Deaf Artist retreats and online De'VIA groups.  "I wanted to share my experiences with viewers about oppression, the Deaf experience, Deafhood and other connections in my life."

Takiyah Harris studied at the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where she received an associates degree.  She furthered her studies in art and photography by receiving two bachelors degrees at Southern Illinois University and Governors State University.  Her work has been shown in various exhibitions and galleries in the Chicago area, Washington D.C. Rochester, NY, and more.  She also travels to present on Black De'VIA and is proud to be a role model as a Deaf and Black Woman