SARIYAH NIKO BENOIT (SHE/HER), ALSO KNOWN AS RIYAH NIKO, IS AN ARTIST FROM THE BRONX, NY, NOW LIVING IN ATLANTA, GA. SHE GREW UP IMMERSED IN HAITIAN CREOLE, PUERTO RICAN SPANG-LISH AND NEW YORK ENGLISH. SURROUNDED BY PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE HISTORIES OF LIVING ON FARMS, SARIYAH BEGAN TO DEVELOP A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE LAND AND EXPLORE SUSTAINABLE CREATIVE OUTLETS AS AN EFFORT TO CONNECT WITH HER ROOTS, HERITAGE, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT. AS SHE GREW OLDER, HER PRIDE IN BEING FROM THE BRONX TOOK SHAPE AT THE SAME TIME THAT SHE BECAME INCREASINGLY AWARE OF THE DISPARATE AND UNEQUAL DISTRIBUTION OF WALKABLE AND RECREATIONAL GREENWAYS THROUGHOUT THE BOROUGH THAT SHE GREW UP LEARNING WAS THE GREENEST IN THE CITY. SARIYAH SOON REALIZED THE VARIOUS BARRIERS OF ENTRY THAT BARRED BLACK AND BROWN RESIDENTS FROM ACCESSING THE GREEN SPACES MADE SEEMINGLY AVAILABLE TO THEM.
INSPIRED BY REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE, TENEMENT HOUSING IN THE BRONX, AND DREAMS, SARIYAH WORKS AS A PAINTER, MURALIST, AND HORTICULTURAL EDUCATOR, INTERESTED IN BLACK SPATIAL POLITICS, EMBODIED MEMORY, DIY SUSTAINABLE ART SUPPLIES, AND BLACK & INDIGENOUS DESIGN MOTIFS. SHE EXPLORES TECHNIQUES USING TRADITIONAL SUPPLIES ALONG WITH FORAGED AND HAND-PROCESSED MATERIALS. NOTABLE IS HER ART STUDIO RESIDENCY WITH REMERGE IN SWEET AUBURN; PARTICIPATION THROUGH BLACK SHEEP FIBER CIRCLE IN THE GIST YARN WEAVE RESIDENCY; AND AN AG & BOTANICAL DYE RESIDENCY ON SAPELO ISLAND. AWARDS INCLUDE CREATIVE ACTION FUND AND CREATE CHANGE FELLOWSHIP FROM THE LAUNDROMAT PROJECT. HER PIECES LIVE IN THE PAULI MURRAY CENTER FOR HISTORY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE YES PLEASE BOOKHOUSE AND LENDING LIBRARY. AMONG RIYAH’S TWELVE MURALS, HER FIRST FOUR PROUDLY ADORN NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL WALLS.
EDUCATION
Emory College of Arts & Science — BA in African American Studies
RESIDENCY & FELLOWSHIP
2023-2024 REMERGE Artist studio residency. Sweet Auburn, Atlanta, GA
2023 Gist Yarn WEAVE Residency with Black Sheep Fiber Circle
2022 SAAFON Fiber Arts Organizing Fellowship, High Hog Farm, Grayson, GA.
2021 Indigo processing studio residency, Save Our Legacy Ourself, Sapelo Island, GA.
2019-2020 The Laundromat Project Fellowship
TEACHING & PRODUCTION EXPERIENCE
2024 Educator. Plant Paint Alchemy workshop. Iwilla Remedy. Scottsdale, GA.
2024 Educator. Plant Paint workshop. Yes, Please Bookhouse and Carespace. Scottsdale, GA.
2024 Educator. Nature’s Palette workshop. REMERGE Art Studio in Sweet Auburn. Atlanta, GA.
2024 Educator. Eco-Painting workshop at Black Girl Plant Fest. Nourish Botanica. Atlanta, GA.
2023 Production Consultant for SolARTS Festival. West Atlanta Watershed Alliance. Atlanta, GA.
2022 – Present Garden Specialist and Educator. Spelman College, Spelman Food Studies Program.
2022 Art and Gardening Summer Program Manager. East Point Housing Authority & Black Art in America Foundation. Atlanta, GA.
2020 Program Coordinator & Art Instructor. Thurgood Marshall Academy Lower School. New York, NY.
2019-2020 Facilitator. The People’s Studio @ Museum of Modern Art (MoMA). New York, NY.
2019 Curator. “Ratchet Opulence Art Showcase” Fundraiser and Community Gathering. H-Loft. Harlem, NY.
2018 Educational Programs Intern. Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture. Charlotte, NC.
SOLO EXHIBITION
2023 “Breaking Seed Dormancy,” West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, Atlanta, GA.
GROUP EXHIBITION HISTORY
2023
West Atlanta Watershed Alliance, “SolARTS Festival” Atlanta, GA.
The Gathering Spot, “Art & Jazz Gala” Atlanta, GA.
2022
Hidden Gallery 333, “Rebirth” Atlanta, GA.
Black Coffee ATL ,”Stacey Abrams, Pass The Mic to Women” Atlanta, GA.
The WXLLXM, “The Art of Metanoia” Atlanta, GA.
Ambient + Studio, “So Surreal Art” Atlanta, GA.
2021
Hidden Gallery 333, “The Awakening” Atlanta, GA.
swm.nyc, “SWM” Brooklyn, NY.
2020
FIT State University of New York, “Black in Time” New York, NY.
2019
Gotham Hall, “CFK Gala,” New York, NY.
H-Loft, “Ratchet Opulence” New York, NY.
Gallery House (Pratt Institute), “Remember Us” Brooklyn, NY.
The Capitale, “The Regal Ball,” New York, NY.
Davidson College, “R.O.O.T.S.” Davidson, NC.
PUBLICATIONS & CITATIONS
Dykes, Allanah. “Atlanta’s thriving vegan food scene got its start in the Black communities of West End.” Georgia Public Broadcasting. Georgia Public Radio. GPTV. Digital, June 10, 2024.
Felton, Ariel. “How Two Activists From Atlanta Are Helping Preserve the Traditions of a Remote Georgia Island.” Vogue (Mural photos). Digital, February 28, 2023.
“Mankaprr Conteh” Rolling Stone (Headshot credit). Digital, June 10, 2022.
“Check Out Riyah Niko’s Story” VoyageATL (Interview). Digital, October 26, 2022.
“Meet Sariyah Benoit | painter, muralist, film photographer, visual art enthusiast” Shoutout Atlanta (Interview). Digital, July 20, 2021.
“2020 Create Change Fellow | 2021 Creative Action Fund Awardee” Laundromat Project. Digital. 2021.
“Pedagogy and Purpose” Laundromat Project. Digital, July 9, 2020.
“THE LAUNDROMAT PROJECT SELECTS…” ARTFORUM. Digital, January 27, 2020.
AWARDS
2021 Creative Action Fund Awardee. Laundromat Project.
NOTABLE COMMISSIONS
3 sisters, 3 generations Mural (12ft x 9ft). National Black Food and Justice Alliance Office. Atlanta, Ga. 2022.
East Point People Mural (5.5 x 30ft concrete). Oz Pizza and East Point MARTA Station. East Point, GA. 2022.
Grand Opening Mural. Dog House Boxing and Fitness Gym. Woodstock, GA. 2021.
Spirit of Sapelo Mural (7 x 15ft). Sapelo Go Country Store. Sapelo Island, GA. 2021.
Affirmations Mural. The Chill Spud restaurant. Atlanta, GA. 2021.
Motivation 2 Mural. The Chill Spud restaurant. Atlanta, GA. 2021
Motivation 1 Mural. Tru Skills Barber Shop. Atlanta, GA. 2020
Kickback Cacti Murals. P.S. 142. New York, NY. 2020.
Love Learning Murals. P.S. 314x. Bronx, NY. 2020.
School Murals Project. Thaddeus Stevens P.S. 81. Brooklyn, NY. 2020.
Zora Neale Hurston Mural. Brighter Choice Community School. Brooklyn, NY. 2019.
MEMBERSHIP:
Nourish Botanica Advisory and Planning Committee, since 2023
SAAFON, since 2022
Black Sheep Fiber Circle, since 2021
The Laundromat Project, since 2019