Makda (Maki) Kalayu is an emerging multi-media artist and educator whose work includes drawings, paintings, collages, photography, and sustainable sculpture. Her art explores themes of heritage, identity, and cultural memory, capturing the emotional essence of diasporic experiences. Through intimate and candid community portraits, her creations burst with color and expression, transcending mere representation to evoke a profound connection for the viewer. Maki’s body of work began to develop in AP 2D Studio Art. They hold a B.A. in International Studies and Studio Art, blending 9 years of training as a figure artist with quantitative research. Through this unique interplay between emotion and culture, her view of portraiture has sharpened as a tool for memorialization and political. Her artistic journey is influenced by an upbringing in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the vibrant BIPOC murals of Harlem, New York, Washington, D.C., Five Points, Denver, CO, Roanoke, VA, and Portland, OR. Follow her creative exposition and celebrate the beauty of a rich tapestry of personal and cultural narratives. 🌍🎨