Meet our Team
As a Team of BIPOC ARTISTS, WE ARE PROUD TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY OF QUEER ARTISTS
Future Flower Collective operates on a “For Us by Us” model: we are a team of Queer artists who serve our community. We believe that it is crucial for communities that lack institutional support to have their own spaces to build networks of support. As a team, we offer spaces of healing and support for BIPOC and Queer artists searching for space a space for their voices to be heard among a white-centered scene. We aim to create spaces that are safe, inclusive, fun, and healing for our community.
Isa
Matisse
Director and Curator
Isa Matisse (b. 2002 in Philadelphia, PA) is an artist, curator, and DJ. Matisse’s work focuses on the advancement of the Queer community through the use of art as a tool for healing. Their work as a photographer focuses on creating dreamlike worlds of color and an entry into their mind. Going by the alias DIY FFS, as a dj, they blend the sounds of techno, club, and ballroom creating a gateway for listeners to immerse themselves in sound. Matisse has been showcasing with and contributing to Future Flower Collective (formally known as The Future Is us) since our inception in September 2017. Matisse’s work as a curator for Future Flower is focused on meaningful engagement with the arts and collective healing.
As Director, Isa oversees all organization operations.
Laila
Islam
Founder
Born and raised in North Philadelphia, Laila Islam (they/them) founded the Future is Us with the assistance of 7 local high-school artists in September 2017. When they first began showcasing at local exhibits at age 16, they noticed that the spaces they showcased in were accommodating exclusively to an older and financially privileged demographic. This disparity inspired Islam to create spaces where all (regardless of financial status, race, gender identity, religion, etc.) are included and welcomed. A graduate of Moore College of Art and Design with a BFA in Curatorial Studies, Islam identifies as a curator committed to artistic community engagement and radical healing. They define radical healing as a practice where people create a space for communities who experience systemic harm to think and exist outside of their violent histories and realities. These platforms allow groups of people to combat said realities, ultimately empowering and equipping people with the ability to better unionize and mobilize as communities through communal care.
As Director, Laila oversees all organization operations. They are the leader of the Future is Us Group Residency project and typically host and organize our workshops, events, and happenings.
Islam's Portfolio
