A’Kailah Byrd-Greene is a portrait and mural artist from San Bernardino, CA. A’Kailah uses Black women as primary figures in her artwork while using vibrant colors to highlight varying emotionsand expressions. She often uses social, personal, and political events as inspira­ tion for her figures. Her main goal is to create a safe space fo r Black women in the art world and create artwork that makes her communi­ ty proud. A’Kailah received a BA in Studio Art fo rm Cal State San Bernardino in 2019 and a MFA in Studio Art from Claremont Graduate University in 2021.

“I wasn’t always interested in art as a professional pathway until the second year of my undergraduate schooling. I came from a creative family and always loved art but thought I would make a difference in my community with a criminal Justice degree. Once I realized that wasn’ t the correct path for me, I took an introductory art class and fell in love. Aller switching my major to Studio Art, I learned how to paint using oils and quickly realized that I wanted to locus on my experience as a Black woman. I decided that painting in larger scales felt best and ran with it. I love the way that oil paints blend with each other and the vibrancy that can be created…”