Maya Mackrandilal
Maya Mackrandilal is a mixed-race woman of color with global roots. Born in Washington, DC to a Guyanese mother of Indian, Chinese, and West African descent and Belgian father, she has lived in Côte d’Ivoire, Virginia, a small town in Iowa, and Chicago before settling with her partner in Los Angeles. As the child of a headstrong single mother and raised within a loving village of extended family and friends, Mackrandilal’s exposure to a multitude of worldviews and experiences has deeply influenced her practice as a multidisciplinary artist, writer, performance artist, and activist. She earned her BA in Studio Art with High Distinction from the University of Virginia, where she was awarded an Aunspaugh post-baccalaureate fellowship. She then went on to receive her MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and was awarded a Jacob K. Javits Fellowship. She has shown artwork and presented performances across the country, including the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, The Armory Center for Art, Threewalls, Abrons Art Center, and the Smithsonian Archives of American Art. She writes critical and personal essays as well as poetry and fiction, her work has appeared in a variety of publications, including The New Inquiry, 60 Inches from Center, MICE Magazine, and Skin Deep.
You can learn more about her work at her website: mayamackrandilal.com
