Donasia Tillery is an arts writer, editor, and poet based in New York. Her work explores the intersections of race, gender, structural trauma, and spirituality, and has been featured in Artforum, Momus, Mousse magazine, Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, and Artillery Magazine, among others. She is the recipient of Mozaik Philanthropy’s Future Art Writers Award and editor of “The Archive as Liberation” (2025).
Education
New York University, MA, Africana Studies, 2016
Lehigh University, BA, Philosophy, 2011
PUBLICATIONS
“Tiran Willemse: Exercises in bodily liberation,” Mousse Magazine, 2026
“Surviving the ACHE: Yifan Jiang at 56 henry,” Momus, 2026
“The Archive as Liberation,” light work press, 2025
“Stacy Lynn Waddell on Finding Home in the Age of Extinction,” Artforum, 2023
“Paul Stephen Benjamin at Efaín López,” Artforum, 2023
“Lauren Halsey at The Metropolitan Museum of Art,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, 2023
“Kenturah Davis at OXY Arts,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, 2023
“a time to tear and a time to mend at Wönzimer,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, 2023
“Ben Sanders at OCHI,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, 2023
“From Lagos with Love: The Far-Reaching Vision of Adenrele Sonariwo,” Artillery Magazine, 2023
“Carlos Martiel at Steve Turner,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, 2022
“God is Change, the Future is a Return,” MOZAIK Philanthropy, 2022
“Amelia Carley at Otra Vox,” Artillery Magazine, 2022
“Post-Frieze LA: The KNOW Contemporary,” Artillery Magazine, 2022
“Artist Gabriela Ruiz on Fantasy, Time Travel, and the Audacity to Imagine,” CurateLA, 2021
“Annie Lapin: Actualizing the Otherworldly,” Spinelli Kilcollin, 2021
"The Work of Resilient Survival,” Electric Revival, 2017
AWARDS
Future Art Writers Award, MOZAIK Philanthropy (2022)
Henry M. MacCracken Fellowship, New York University (2013-2015)
Social and Cultural Analysis Research Grant, New York University (2014)
Technology, Research, and Communication Fellowship, Lehigh University (2009-2011)
College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research Grant, Lehigh University (2010)
Williams Prize for English Composition, Lehigh University (2011)
WAVES Towards Gender Equity Award, Lehigh University (2010)
speaking engagements
Artillery Magazine: Black Diaspora Emerging, Los Angeles, 2023
4th International Association for Visual Culture Biennial Conference, Boston University, 2016
Endings Conference, Stony Brook University, 2014
Department of Philosophy Conference, Lehigh University, 2010
Feminism in Practice Conference, Lehigh University, 2010