• Pre Order SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO

    Published by Sixty Inches From the Center and For the Birds Trapped in Airports.
    This issue draws its name from Prairie Grass, a poem by Abena Motaboli, who is a Basotho-Ghanian artist, poet and educator based in Chicago. Her poem is a love letter to the resilience and beauty of prairie grass in the wintertime, the longest season in the Midwest…” - An excerpt form the Editors Note

  • This publication was designed and put together by myself in collaboration with the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance over the course of a NatureJournaling class I facilitated in the Fall of 2020.

    it is a culmination of poems, plant studies, drawings, and inspiring nature based work from of all of our senior citizens and myself. 

    Nature Journaling PDF 
  • This publication is a culmination of a pigment exploration class I facilitated through the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance in the Summer of 2021.

    It includies how to's for botanical dyeing, making pigment paints and journal prompts.

    The cover and content are designed by myself including several of the students images. Graphic design and formatting of the publication was done by June Ahn.

    Pigment Exploration PDF 
  • For the 2020 Spring SEEDS journal, Abena Motaboli has three poems published With Northeastern Illinois University's Literary & Visual Arts Journal titled SEEDS. p132-136

    SEEDS is a yearly publication produced by a community-focused organization. They publish poetry, prose, fiction/non-fiction, hybrid work, research, essay and visual art.

    SEEDS Journal PDF 
  • For the Fall 2020/Spring 2021 SEEDS journal, Abena Motaboli has three poems published With Northeastern Illinois University's Literary & Visual Arts Journal titled SEEDS. p28-32

    This version reflects a time of change and growth through the Pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests and the uncertainty of our now. 

    SEEDS is a yearly publication produced by a student run community-focused organization. They publish poetry, prose, fiction/non-fiction, hybrid work, research, essay and visual art.

    SEEDS Journal PDF 
  • I was recently featured in the first installment of The Evolution of a Thought, a new segment in Sixty Inches From The Center.

    Kyra Horton spoke with me about my writing and poetry practice - my deep rooted love of nature, as well as ideas of human resilience seen through immigration. Click on the image for more.  

    Read Full Article here 
  • In this interview for Create! Magazine, I sit down with Christina to talk about my desire to connect back to our lived environment, the plants and animals around us, and my home and immigration story. Click on the image for more.

    Read Full Article Here 
  • Tesserae Art History

    Tesserae is an art publication born in the time of COVID-19 as a place for up-and-coming scholars and artists to publish their research, experiences, interpretations, criticisms, statements, and more. The art world needs a safe space now more than ever for young creatives. Find some of my published poetry here.

    Read poem here 

Select handwritten poems on handmade paper (more poems available by request)