Visual junior Taniyah Aris is planning for world domination. 

When Aris was asked how she sees her future, she said she wants to display her artwork in places all over the globe, like Paris, New York, and Tokyo. She wants to “dominate” the art world to spread the idea that making and seeing art are mental health outlets. Her goal is to make sure as many people are included in the art world as possible so that they have access to this outlet.  

The first step in her plan is to establish art shows all over the world. Her first curated art show, The Aris Joint, took place on Jan. 27 at Rohi’s Readery. She showcased local artists’ artwork and photography, and student musicians were present alongside other young painters and photographers. 

“For these exhibitions, I’m planning a kind of world domination,” Aris said. “I want to have art exhibitions all over the world. I want to implement them for people who can’t have visual expression.” 

One of the new pieces she debuted was, “All Thugs Have Eternal Hearts.” It’s a portrait of Tupac based on the rapper’s poetry and music. It uses a blend of 2D and 3D features, including bright red lines stretching from his ears and flowers popping out of the corners. If you put the painting under an X-ray, six different layers can be seen, each with their own specific details. These paintings are inspired by what’s around her. 

“Every time I walk in a place, I notice the color palettes (and) the conversations I’m having, and I’ll just take that in and keep it in my little brain file,” Aris said.

Aris attributes her ideas to the world around her. When she is outside, she takes everything in, trying to incorporate details into her pieces. 

“I was walking through city place with one of my pieces and I was talking to this lady, and then this homeless man, and also a kid,” Aris said. “It’s a bunch of different groups and different lifestyles, just people being connected through my art.”

When coming up with ideas she describes the experience as being like a “philosopher sitting on her stone”, taking in her environment. She processes the world around her and keeps them in mind, considering the impact of each piece and how to incorporate it into her work. 

“I just took the moments (I have) alone to let loose and let my hand go across the page, and that really pushed me further outside of the box,” Aris said. 

Aris notices how kids close themselves out of art or worry they are not “good enough”. Her goal is to show others that perfection is not the meaning of art. 

“There’s a lot of kids who just feel like they can’t be somebody, and they can,” Aris said. “I want to show those people that art is an outlet for everybody.”

This is not only demonstrated in her art shows but also inside the classroom. Her figure drawing art teacher, Scott Armetta, notes the way she incorporates other students and artists into her work and pieces. 

“She’s a good listener,” Armetta said. “She takes their work seriously, whatever they’re trying to do. It doesn’t have to be in her genre or specific style.” 

She says that her art isn’t only to help herself, but also to make an impact on her community. English teacher Moriah Carlisle noticed how the piece, “The Wind Punches My Face” affected her own daughter. 

“I found her the next day.” Carlisle said. I’m like, ‘I need you to know that my daughter responded to your artwork. For children, when it comes to art, responding to it is so powerful. I’m getting to understand (my daughter’s) creative process.”

Aris describes one of the most important parts of her artwork as the interconnectedness of different aspects of art, even if she says the art world can feel “exclusive”. Her goal is to include everyone. She doesn’t stop herself with art shows: multiple of her TikToks, Instagram Reels, and Youtube videos have gone viral, amassing over millions of views.

“I come into the art world with my inclusive thoughts and ideas because I want to be included and I want everybody to be included,” Aris said. 

She doesn’t only put her time into painting though. She also participates in photography, poetry, and cheerleading. She sees herself as a multimedia artist threading all aspects of her life together. 

“It looks like (my art styles) stay separate, but everything kind of blends into (each other), because when I cheer, my mood is amazing and I feel good,” Aris said. “I let that energy get visually tossed to the page.” 

This causes her art to have a specific style. Aris describes her art style as a blend of multiple styles she created herself, called “Aris style”. The process of creating this style took time for her to figure out who she was, so that her identity could shine through the layers of her art. 

“I didn’t know who I was, and my identity, like what it meant to be Taniyah, but (also) what it means also to be Aris,” Aris said. “When I make a piece I put my soul into it. Sometimes I’ll cry over a piece because I’m actively creating myself through that.” 

Each of her pieces holds its own unique social message as well. She has been inspired by many different sources, ranging from musicians like Amy Winehouse and Tupac to movements like the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“Every word that I say, every inspiration that I pull into my pieces, they all hold meaning to me, but also to this world,” Aris said.

Connecting her artwork with everyone, it makes it accessible, and easier for people to be inspired. She said she understands that art can be confined and put in a box, but she wants to break through to create a connection between all art and people. 

“This is art and art is made for everybody,” Aris said. “Everybody makes art and we are art.”