Artist Rakiba Lanise

This piece was inspired by “summer” in Michigan and my need for vitamin D that is no longer good for me.

Island-rooted. Detroit-raised. Diaspora-inspired.

June is Caribbean American Heritage Month, and Artist Rakiba Lanise honors the island roots that flow through her creative voice — St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda.

Her mixed media work carries the language of the Caribbean: bold color, layered texture, ocean rhythm, spiritual symbolism, geometry, movement, beadwork, shells, gold, fabric, and ancestral memory. Each piece becomes a visual conversation between land, water, womanhood, culture, and the Black diaspora.

From vibrant triangular patterns that echo flags, architecture, and island textiles, to mermaids, cowrie shells, butterflies, florals, gold leaf, and sacred adornments, Rakiba’s art reflects both beauty and belonging. Her work is not just decorative — it is a map of memory, migration, resilience, and joy.

The influence of St. Kitts & Nevis and Antigua & Barbuda can be seen in her use of saturated island color, coastal imagery, rhythmic pattern, and layered materials that feel both handmade and ancestral. Her art reminds us that heritage is not something we only inherit. It is something we build, protect, remix, and pass forward.

This month, Rakiba Lanise celebrates the Caribbean as source, spirit, and creative compass.

From the islands to Detroit, the story continues in color.




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Love & Approved 🫶🏾

I finally figured out how to use this frame! 👏🏾
This is one of my pieces entitled “SilverStar Pearls.” It is a tribute to ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha who celebrate 25 years of sisterhood & service. I decided to search for the perfect frame to complement her silver crown. 👑

From the AfroShe Collection, Rakiba Lanise created a special collection of seven original pieces to donate for the raffle. This collection celebrates Black beauty, culture, identity, and legacy through bold color and intentional storytelling. Each piece reflects themes of Black womanhood, ancestry, faith, resilience, joy, and self-definition.

Created to do more than decorate a space, these works are meant to affirm, inspire, and keep Black art visible and valued. This donation to the NAACP Youth Fashions for Freedom Raffle is given with the hope that the recipient will either enjoy the artwork in their own home or gift it to someone else as a meaningful expression of love, pride, and community.

Art is legacy. Art is freedom. Art is ours.

Donated by:
Rakiba Lanise
Mixed Media Artist | Writer | Cultural Storyteller
Creator of the AfroShe Collection & Layers of Light and Line


Pictured below (r) with the raffle winner on the left.

Perfectly framed for a silent auction