Dhani Shanti is a queer artist and designer born and raised in Miami, Florida to a mixed Palestinian-Cuban family. He is extremely interested in exploring LGBTQ+ topics, self-expression through body horror, and exploration of mental health. He mainly works in digital illustration, but also creates traditional art, theatrical works, fiber art, and more. He has a background in architecture, having pursued it for 3 years, but left the program and graduated with his B.A in Communication Arts for Media and Design. He is also a freelancer currently working for various theatre companies, creative laboratories, and independent publications. 

 

Dhani has been a creative since he was a child, adding new mediums to his repertoire to find new ways to express himself. His journey of discovery regarding his identity and his mental health, while never over, was the catalyst for his serious interest in the artistic world. The struggle to express himself and understand society led him into a world of escapist fiction that inspired his life as well as his art; comic books, mangas, and cartoons allowed him the inspiration to use visual narratives to push him to understand how therapeutic art can become.