Chelvanaya “Naya” Gabriel is a visual artivist, multimedia storyteller, resilience facilitator, and ecosocial architect. Some of the identities they carry through the universe are queer, black/poc, trans non-binary, and science nerd!
Their mission in this life is to love and be loved through sharing stories in multiple formats and holding space for others to share theirs. Through decolonized contemplative practices they facilitate ways we can honor our inner ancestral wisdom and activate coalition-based community healing.
Naya is also the lab manager and greenhouse supervisor at Hampshire College. And they have a studio on Agawam, Nipmuck and Pocumtuc land in Holyoke, MA and look forward to when they can invite community events/classes to be held there again.
Statement
I am a non-binary human, a queer relationship anarchist and I am neurodivergent + disabled. I am also middle class, college-educated, cis-presenting and US-born. I use my own lived experiences coupled with my artistic practice to raise awareness about intersectional issues of chronic pain, invisible disabilities, and mental health, demonstrating the notion (inspired by Audre Lorde) that self-care is a radical political/communal act and creative expression can, in itself, be a form of self-care. I also explore ideas of human/universal consciousness, the philosophy of overdetermination, the complexities of individual and collective identity, collective accountability and liberation.
My educational experiences are largely based in the natural sciences, along with elements of philosophy, creative writing and Asian studies. I also have experience working/teaching in the sciences, community organizing around issues of class/equity, anti-racism, anti-oppression, permaculture/ecological design, climate change as well as practicing and teaching mindfulness and other wellness/bodycare techniques.
I am a self-taught visual artist and after the 2016 election and a subsequent health crisis, I began painting with acrylics and incorporating other media and found objects. Now I integrate my art practice and social justice facilitation work through unique interdisciplinary creative engagement workshops and exhibitions. I am a multimedia storyteller and my mission is to share my own stories so that they will resonate with those who need to hear them and provide opportunities and create space for folx to experience those resonances and share their own stories. I am also a resilience facilitator and my current project, Creative Resilience, aims to create spaces for using art to communicate collectively about wellness and resiliency.
Reach out if you are interested in participating in future virtual community spaces/healing work or are interested in learning more about the Creative Resilience dialogues - an art-based dialogue about individual and community wellness and resilience.
Learn more about the dialogues and my work in a recent Boston Globe profile by arts critic Cate McQuaid:
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/04/09/arts/artist-creates-space-healing-zoom-youre-stepping-into-resilience-just-by-showing-up/
Be well and stay safe!