Malaika Favorite facts for kids

Malaika Favorite (born 1949) is an American visual artist and writer. Her amazing artwork can be found in many important collections across the U.S. She mostly uses oil paints, acrylics, and watercolors.

Malaika Favorite also likes to try new things with her art. For example, she has experimented with folding her canvases. She also adds written words to her paintings, making them even more interesting. Her art often tells stories from her own life and about the world around her.

Her Early Life

Malaika Favorite was born in 1949. She was the second of nine children born to Amos Favorite, Sr. and Rosemary Favorite.

In the 1960s, a big change happened in her life. She became the first African-American student to attend the all-white high school in Geismar, Louisiana. This was a very important step in making schools fair for everyone.

Her Artistic Journey

Malaika Favorite studied fine art at Louisiana State University. She earned both her bachelor's and master's degrees there. Her first art pieces were shown while she was still a student.

Her artwork is featured in several important art books. These include Art: African American by Samella Lewis and Black Art in Louisiana by Bernardine B. Proctor. You can also find her work in the St. James Guide to Black Artists.

Her art is part of many famous collections. Some of these include the Morris Museum of Art in Augusta, Georgia, and the Alexandria Museum of Art in Louisiana. Her art is also at The Coca-Cola Company and the Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. You can even see her work at The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Ohio. She has also painted large outdoor murals in Atlanta.

Art and Words

Malaika Favorite loves to explore different ways to create art. She works with many materials, like oils, acrylics, and watercolors. She also creates lithographs, which are a type of printmaking.

She often includes writing as part of her paintings. She believes that art can explain itself. She once said that art should be "timeless." This means it should speak to people from every generation. It should keep inspiring and fascinating everyone who sees it.

Besides her visual art, Malaika Favorite is also a talented writer. She has published three collections of poetry. These include Illuminated Manuscript (1991), Dreaming at the Manor (2014), and Ascension (2016). Ascension even won the Naomi Long Madgett Poetry Award. Her poems, stories, and articles have appeared in many different books and magazines. She also won the Louisiana Literature Prize for Poetry in 2005.

Awards and Recognition

Malaika Favorite has received many awards and grants for her work. These honors show how much her art and writing are appreciated.

• Puffin Foundation Grant, 2008
• Porter Fleming Foundation Grant, 2007
• Georgia Council For The Arts, 1992
• Special Grant for Excellence in the Arts from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, 1987
• Fulbright-Hays study tour, Art of India, 1978
• African American Institute, 1975