“hxnesty is the only anecdote...
2 be an artist is 2 answer a calling that echoes far beyond you...”
- IMA ZIMA
Fatima Diawara (Ima Zima) is a Black // Afro-Latinx, Muslim multimodal visual artist and creative architect. Ima’s creativity explores truth through poeticism, movement, and narrative. Her roots trace back to Bamako, Mali and Michoacan & Zacatecas, Mexico. Ima’s artistic practice is anchored in respect, dignity, and genuineness (even when it’s inconvenient).
These projects originate from a space of candid reflection & growth. They signify Ima’s evolution as a human being. Her journey is archived through this work, crafting a blueprint for creative entrepreneurial longevity.
While some works are straightforward, many of her projects are abstract. She invites audience members to tap into the essence of what they view rather than follow a linear narratives. Ima deepens our understanding of intuition & senses, using subtleties and instinctive signals to convey emotive awakenings.
Ima has a Bachelor of Arts in Africana Studies from Brown University (2017). She is an award-winning filmmaker (Webby Award & Arts in Activism Award) and dynamic businesswombyn. Ima’s literary upotian trilogy, WUND3RLAND, will be launching in 2026 (Insha Allah).
SERVICES
Creative Direction
Creative Consultation
Financial Strategy
Data Analysis & Business Development
360 Visual Campaign Creation
Screenwriting
Video Production
Music Writing and Vocal Composition
AWARDS & GRANTS
The Inaugural Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Grant was awarded to Ima in October 2020 by the National AIDS Memorial and sponsored by the ViiV Healthcare Foundation
Ima was hand-selected as the youngest filmmaker (23 at the time) for the UNSTOPPABLE Filmmaking Collective with Planned Parenthood in 2018. In partnership with Tanya Selvaratnam, the work was granted the Webby Award for Activism in 2019.
The Granoff Center at Brown University awarded a Two-Year Grant opportunity to Works, etc in 2016 - an arts collective co-founded by Ima which has continued its legacy in bridging access for underrepresented artists.
FEATURES
Globe News Wire | National AIDS Memorial Announces First Recipient of the Mary Bowman Arts in Activism Award [2021] ︎
Planned Parenthood | Planned Parenthood Honors the Resilience and Brilliance of Black Women Filmmakers at The MACRO Lodge at Sundance Film Festival [2019] ︎
Vice | What Planned Parenthood Wants You to Know About Your Body [2018] ︎
Advocate | A Raw Tribute to Sexual Trauma Survivors [2018] ︎
Planned Parenthood | Planned Parenthood’s UNSTOPPABLE Debuts Three Short Films Celebrating Bodily Autonomy, Equality, and Freedom [2018] ︎
Afropunk | Young, Gifted, and Black: The College Creatives Bringing Blackness to the Classroom and Beyond [2016] ︎
ADDITIONAL CREATIVE WORKS
Plays & Performance Art ︎
(Staged & Produced at Brown University)
Keep the Bagels: A Series of Thoughtz about Things [2014]
Direction & Writing: Isa Fatima Diawara
Going Somewhere [2014]
Direction & Writing: Isa Fatima Diawara
Forced Illusions [2015]
Direction, Choreography & Writing: Isa Fatima Diawara
Creative Organizing ︎
Co-Founder of WORKS, etc & misfit haven, two creative collectives focused on empowering marginalized communities to create & showcase visual and multimedia art. We dedicated our efforts to uplifting art from Black, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, differently abled and other essential identities. We held over four art showcases featuring more than 25 emerging artists across the Northeast.
Featured Collaborators
