Seeking the Creative: Taylah Janese Shahied, Illustrative Artist

CREDIT: Taylah Janese Shahied

How would you describe your art in three words?

Three words to describe my art would be personal, cultural, and vibrant.

From Long Island, New York, 23 year old Taylah Janese Shahied produces art that displays expressiveness, incentive, and dedication. Taylah has been making art ever since she was a child, and finds herself engaging with her craft everyday to avoid stagnancy. She is devoted to her artistry, and dreams of turning her work into a full-time career, with aspirations of having her artwork hanging in someone’s home. Her artwork is inspired by culture, whether it be her own or aspects from the world around her. She is able to convey humans in their most authentic and blissful state; a state in which we live comfortable in our differences and appreciative of our identities. Taylah’s work is diverse in style, allowing the multifaceted artist to create a piece that resonates with and inspires everyone and anyone.

Where/how do you gather inspiration?

My inspiration stems from my cultural background (I’m afrolatina, dominican and black American), my faith, and people. One of the things that moves me to create is capturing people in all of their honest, wholesome beauty and aiming to create symbolic images that incite viewers to feel uplifted. I am simply recreating and emphasizing beauty, truth, and emotions that are already present in us.

What do you hope audiences retain from your work?

My hope for my audience is for them to feel inspired, encouraged, and to see more light in the world, in the midst of the challenges we face.