ANYA SHUKLA
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UNITED STATES, 18
Project: The Colorization Collective
Focus Area: Arts-Based Justice
Anya (she/her) is an 18-year-old high school senior from Seattle, Washington. Growing up as a writer and performer, she rarely saw her racial identity reflected in the arts world. She wanted to change that dynamic, so in 2019, Anya co-founded The Colorization Collective - an organization that supports teen artists of color. The Collective provides BIPOC youth from around the world with free opportunities to build community, showcase their artwork and connect with professional artists of color. These opportunities include a mentorship program, a web-series and online features of BIPOC artists. The Collective also runs a chapter program so teens can promote diversity in the arts at a local level.
As a representative of The Collective, Anya is part of Seattle Arts & Culture for Antiracism, where she works to improve racial equity at 25+ partner organizations. The Collective also collaborates with city governments, universities, nonprofits and youth groups to promote diversity in the arts.
Anya’s work centers around a quote by Oscar Wilde: “Life imitates art more than art imitates life.” If we see racism in the media, we will perpetuate it in our daily lives. To that end, she believes that we cannot fully address racism in the real world without first addressing racism in the arts.