As a visual artist, screenwriter and playwright, Kafia Haile uses her creative talents as a form of self-expression and to further social justice. Her writing and artwork complement each other, with Kafia alternating between writing and painting scenes from her plays. Several of her paintings are based on her play Pickin’ Up Strays, which was featured in staged readings at the DC Black Theatre Festival and Theater Alliance’s Hothouse on H. Her paintings have been exhibited at Raw Space Gallery in Atlanta, The Atlanta Speech School, and Busboys and Poets in Hyattsville, MD. As her writing delves into the experiences of people outside of the United States, she expects to incorporate those cultures into her paintings, as well.

Kafia’s creative works are influenced by her interest in her family’s history, particularly the experiences during the Great Migration, as well as her work in Iraq as a cultural analyst focused on tribal issues and political reconciliation. Kafia uses bold colors as a form of escape from conservative environments and a reflection of the richness of her native Atlanta. As both a writer and an artist, Kafia is interested in redemption, the resilience of family, and the role of tradition in the modern world. Her work conveys people's interconnectedness, and the idea that the good and evil we do to others also has an impact on us.

Kafia is a graduate of Spelman College and The Fletcher School. For more information on her work, visit www.KafiaHaile.com.