Tiyana Mitchell
About
Tiyana Mitchell (b. 2001) is an American/Jordanian artist raised in Cyprus and currently living in London. Mitchell holds a dual degree in Fine Arts and History from Parsons School of Design and Eugene Lang College, The New School, New York City, 2023, and is currently pursuing a Masters in Painting at the Royal College of Art, 2025.
She primarily works with reference images from her Grandfather’s photographic archive, dating between the 1920’s – 1970’s, based in the Middle East and his travels in Europe. The archive is a social and political documentation of the time, with her Great Grandfather having been the District Commissioner of Jerusalem in the 1940’s. Her paintings focus on the background and overlooked portions of the original photographs, depicting these in colourised, large and small scale oil paintings. Her process removes the original from the history it is bound to, and occasionally juxtaposes this with an image of today’s time from her own film photography. Through the harsh cropping of the scene in her paintings, Mitchell aims to create tension between what one has access to when viewing the final piece; a feeling of peering into something that shouldn’t be necessarily be seen.
Recent exhibitions include a group show at the Jordanian Embassy in Washington DC, USA (2023) and Faded (Tiderip Gallery, London, 2025).
Content Warning
The content on this website may contain themes and materials that some users find distressing or offensive. Further, the content on this website may not be suitable for individuals under the age of 18. User discretion is advised.
Any views and opinions expressed in this student profile represent the views and opinions of the student and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of the Royal College of Art or its employees or affiliates. The appearance of any views or opinions on this page do not constitute endorsement of those views by the Royal College of Art. This student profile has been made available for informational purposes only. The Royal College of Art does not make any representations or warranties with regard to the accuracy of any information provided in this student profile, nor does it warrant the performance, effectiveness or applicability of any listed or linked sites. The Royal College of Art is not responsible for the content submitted by any user, or for the defamatory, offensive or illegal conduct of any user. If you wish to report any errors or inappropriate material that may cause offence, please email feedback@rca.ac.uk