Artist Feature: Humanizing Life Forces

Earlier in the summer, I met with Keyahda Williams, a graduating senior at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, majoring in Illustration and minoring in Creative Writing.

Keyahda enjoys every aspect of art, but her primary focus is on concept art including character design and world building. Writing is also an important part of her creative practice. She enjoys writing short stories, poetry, and has made it a routine to journal every day.

For her senior project, Keyahda incorporated her two passions and created a concept art piece centered around humanizing life forces, entitled DemiDivine.

How would you describe DemiDevine?

It is about processing life forces in a way that’s human. With an edge of fun and whimsical nature. By personifying Nature, Time, and Death, we can start to see them in a way that's more human. The concept of DemiDivine at its core is trying to tell fun and fantastical stories that help us understand the way we coexist with the worldly forces we do not have much control over.

What is the storyline behind the characters?

The offspring of our world’s popular personifications of life like Mother Nature, Father Time, the Grim Reaper, etc., act as a buffer between humanity and the Divine. It might entail saving people from being possessed by demons or any chaotic creature the Divine unintentionally created or asking Mother Nature to postpone an earthquake. Luckily, they have their mentor Karma to lend a hand.

What did you do in preparation for this project?

I took biology classes to learn more about nature and to understand more of the world we inhabit, to create my own world.

How has this project helped your outlook on the world?

Learning more about death and probability has helped to calm the scary stuff, like anxiety and what ifs. I’m aware of how fragile and chaotic the world can be. Learning more has helped me cope.

Is your art practice a part of your healing practice?

They go hand in hand. You can manifest art into anything, take what you feel and let it out in a therapeutic way.

What do you find powerful about art making?

Art is used to conquer fear, to navigate and make sense of the world. It’s the closest thing to magic we have.

Keyahda Williams at the Art Academy of Cincinnati Graduation Ceremony 2024

DemiDivine concept art

Left to right: Grim Reaper, Mother Nature, Sandman, Father Time

Essence Evergreen, daughter of Mother Nature

Nathaniel Torres, son of Father Time

Ashlynn Sander, daughter of the Sandman

*To get in contact with Keyahda Williams, email her at keyahdawilliams@gmail.com.