kelly shaw nyala (née Willman) is an experimental/outsider performance artist. as a performance artist, she blends sound, installation, & ritual- she gravitates towards sites in nature.
her largest project to date, new/mind/ritualz, launched in the spring of 2014; it is a 56-movement performance art offering released one movement at a time. n/m/r ultimately explores memories, demonstrates moments of personal growth in the present, & invokes rituals of healing + action for the collective future.
with deep listening & humbled permission as the foundation, the artist navigates ongoing intimate conversations with womxn creatives, medicine women, Indigenous elders, social justice voices, & trauma survivors, resulting in art material that threads itself throughout new/mind/ritualz.
kelly praises Gawd/Gawde$$ as Black & Femme- an honoring that appears in her every work. she expresses rich relationships to Oshun, Yemaya, Oya, Mami Wata, & prepares to spend time with women in Afrika. in addition to a daily art practice, an Afrikan-rich spiritual practice inspires her deeply.
kelly identifies as an empath + introvert, a feminist, bruja, reinita, bad bitch, homebody, poet, writer, rapper, beadworker, a practiced shadow worker, mental wellness advocate, generational trauma pattern breaker, an anti-rape activist, independent researcher, & an experiential voice on recovery with Complex PTSD.
the artist's work has been highlighted on The Global Fund for Women's blog, Alexandra Arts, ART 511 Magazine, & CREATRIX Magazine. she was recently a part of EMINENT DOMAIN, an intersectional feminist explosion held in the art district of NYC's Chelsea at the former Robert Miller Gallery.
kelly was raised among the cornfields of Eastern Iowa, & has lived in Brooklyn, Costa Rica, Thailand, & Philly.
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projects:
~ new/mind/ritualz as on going.
~ book: working title, diary of a meltdown. creative writing that is personal, pastel-infused, & intermittently research-driven.
~ post production: debut short film, we were bb armadillos, a DIY + lofi expression that safely encapsulates the full-bodied emotionality of the human experience whilst highlighting the artist's complicated cord-cutting from the Caribbean of Costa Rica.
~ kelly's golden rose: my one-woman art biz featuring beaded adornment, zines, art prints, & more.
~ brewing: my debut EP releases as audio, then becomes a visual album (!)
~ upcoming: participation in Emomé Art Festival in Togo, West Africa (2023)
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(sacred beingness)
* i am in a self-loving relationship with me & me- i reclaim this relationship as my priority.
* i reclaim my right to self-heal, to be the sweetest mother to myself.
* there is nothing wrong with me. (repeat often.) i reclaim & treasure my humanness.
* i reclaim my right to understand & choose healthy relationships with fellow humans- these bonds are rich, trustworthy, & lasting/sustainable.
* i reclaim my right to an inner-circle & an abundance of solitude. intimacy is gorgeous medicine sometimes- so is my intentionally orchestrated alone-time.
* i reclaim my ancestor's wisdom by coming back to the Earth & living more simply, quietly. time spent in nature is always a solution.
* i am defining my personal feminism. i reclaim my right to invent my own way.
* i dismantle patriarchal conditioning, shame. by reclaiming my personal power & growing my voice, i encourage the collective, namely fellow women, to do so too- this is work from the inside out, an ongoing practice.
* i claim my right (my consent) to be seen & experienced as an artist. it is your choice to view (or not) my work- my creative intention is not one of imposition.
* i embody & deny no part of my descent ... the exploration of all shadows. i do not hesitate to speak about my sadness & rage, which is real, but not constant. i therefore reclaim my right to be whole, not just shiny & performative to please or peace-keep.
* i trust myself more & more & more.
* i am ultimately RISEN into my divine feminine- on my own terms & in my own time. i accept that i may waiver. when i waiver, i bathe in honey-rivers & pastel-oceans ... i reach to a trusted gal-pal.
* i speak to the injustice i see in the world, not as a graceful expert, but as a human who is learning. i protect marginalized peoples & promote equality within all cultures.
* i continue to exercise forgiveness of myself & others- this practice is on-going. i acknowledge my ability to make better choices now vs. then.
* i live in JOY as often as possible. in living joyfully, my inner-child is incredibly active. i create stability for myself & i self-care voraciously- it's an unapologetic priority.
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influences/interests:
Audre Lorde, Reverend Saundra Porter Thomas, Irma Kaye Sawyer, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Lorine Niedecker, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, Miss Lauryn Hill, Missy Elliot, Angel Haze, Alewya, FKA Twigs, Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, J. Cole, 6lack, Erik Schoster, Steve Narvaez, BLK ZEN, BigChief Demond Melancon, Thich Nhat Hanh, Ana Mendieta, Yayoi Kusama, Yoko Ono, Sage Stargate, N3VLYNNN, Raisa Flowers, Arhia Kohlmoos and each of her sisters, Beth Breese, Marissa Arterberry, Shay DeGrandis, October Abel, Sierra Frost, Ashley Hess, Tarana Burke, Gogo Ekhaya, Gogo Thule, Indigenous/Tribal Cultures (particularly the wisdom of elder womxn,) bitchcraft, ghetto brujas, dreamwork, non-traditional yoga & meditation approaches, Shamanism, animal medicine, darkhorse juju, enchantress juju, ice queens, the ocean, sea creatures, floating, personal space, personal power as reclaimed & forever intact, privacy, quiet, discernment, glitter, legacy, loyalty, pitbulls
concepts:
holyhoney
honey-meets-fire
ratchet-grace
*circle of protection*
©: kelly shaw nyala, 2019-forever
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kelly shaw nyala (née Willman) is an (experimental) (outsider) performance artist. as a performance artist, she blends sound, installation, & ritual- she gravitates towards sites in nature. kelly was raised among the cornfields of Eastern Iowa, & has lived in Brooklyn, Costa Rica, Thailand, & Philly.
