Imani Ford

Background

About Imani Ford

I am a black, neurodivergent, trans-masculine, nonbinary, genderqueer, genderfluid, femme, demiboi, artist, writer, rebel, and lover from the South Side of Chicago. I teach art and healing-centered workshops across New York City where I live. I earned degrees in African American Studies and Visual Arts in Sculpture from Princeton University in 2018 (magna cum laude). I later entered the English & Comparative Literature Ph.D. program at Columbia University where I received a master's degree in 2020. After withdrawing from the Ph.D. program in 2021, I began making music and was accepted to Berklee College of Music. I decided to continue self-teaching on a range of topics: piano, guitar, neuroscience, trauma recovery, and more. I also began building the skillset to start Black Body Productions, a platform that centers on the healing of black, queer, and trans complex trauma survivors. My art is un-gendered and therefore un-genred. I work at the intersections of visual art, creative and critical writing, movement, sound, and spiritual practice to speculate upon black trans life. My creative writing and art criticism expand the knowledge and wisdom produced by possessing, witnessing, and being with black embodiment and black life. I am a nearly decade-long practitioner of Vipassana and Anapanasati meditation and a recently certified Reiki II practitioner. My journey as a Teaching Artist intertwines a deep commitment to restorative justice and mindfulness with the transformative power of art. At Partnership with Children and LEAP, I have honed my curriculum development skills, crafting visual arts workshops that not only educate but also heal communities. My expertise in integrating mindfulness and meditation into creative expression has been instrumental in fostering resilience among New York's students. The heart of my work lies in the belief that art can be a vehicle for social change and personal growth. Through interdisciplinary practices combining visual art and creative writing, I advocate for healing and mental well-being. By embracing the intersection of these disciplines, my mission is to cultivate spaces where students and my peers can explore their potential, guided by the principles of attention to detail and a passion for writing, art making, and movement. I have published writing in Aperture, The Sole Adventurer, Black Minds Mag, and most recently for the Kentler International Drawing Space. I have had solo/group shows at Princeton University, Broodthaers Society of America, and the Arts Students League of New York.