Danaysha (Dani) Thompson (She/They) is an artist based in Boston, MA. Working in digital media, they explore high fantasy and science fiction themes. Thompson is currently receiving an education in arts at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Their work has been exhibited at Boston City Hall in ‘24 and University Hall Gallery in ‘22.
Artist Statement
As a digital artist influenced by modern animation and sci-fi, I blend admired elements into character design, which involves shaping a character's style, personality, and appearance. This process has been crucial in my artistic growth and is significant to many beyond myself. Cultural representation is vital, especially for underrepresented or misrepresented groups. As a Black woman, I've seen characters like me often depicted through stereotypes or negatively, which reduces the diversity of the Black experience to clichés. My work aims to challenge these regressive portrayals by creating progressive and nuanced representations of people of color. I aspire to create graphic novels featuring Black characters that break away from these stereotypes. Despite my passion for fantasy and sci-fi, I recognize the imbalance in these genres, which are often not inclusive of people of color who also enjoy these genres.