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I’m Keonna Thomas, and I go by KTV. I was born and raised in Maryland—Mattaponi Elementary, James Madison Middle, Frederick Douglass High, and later Bowie State University all shaped pieces of who I am. As a little girl, I wanted to be an actress. My dream school was New York University. I used to sit and write monologues, rehearsing them in my head like scenes from the movie of my life. One day I read one to my mom, and she said, “Oh, Keonna, I love the poem.” That’s how I accidentally became a poet. What started as monologues for NYU submissions turned into poems—my way of processing my emotions and translating what I saw other people go through. At 15, I wrote my first film script about friendships, neighbors, and family. The script is still sitting in my closet, collecting dust, but it was the moment I realized I didn’t just love watching stories—I wanted to build them. My dad and I used to binge movies together: thrillers, horror, sci-fi, comedy. His favorite genres became mine. I was obsessed with what happened behind the scenes. How do you make a feeling live on screen? How do you build a world from nothing? So I started small. In middle school I filmed little “movies” on my iPhone and edited them in iMovie, casting my family in the roles. In high school, I launched a YouTube channel where I gave advice, talked about life, and vlogged. I loved speaking, loved storytelling—but I also got distracted. Relationships, life, and doubt pulled me away from poetry and YouTube more than once.
Around that time in an art history class, we had an assignment: choose an artist and explain why their work speaks to you. I found Aïda Muluneh, a surrealist photographer. I didn’t even know “surrealist photography” was a term. Her work stopped me in my tracks. It felt like what had been sitting inside of me the whole time—bold, symbolic, emotional. I remember thinking, Oh, this is it. This is what I’m supposed to be doing. From there, I started to take surrealism seriously. I began building sets, developing concepts, and slowly forming a team around my vision. The first person who officially joined me was wardrobe stylist Lex Dawson, who later moved to Japan to grow her clothing brand. Working with her showed me how powerful it is to collaborate with someone who understands the language of style and story. I still dream of having a core crew—a main makeup artist, hairstylist, wardrobe stylist, videographer, assistant, set designer, location scout, and more. I’m always building toward that future team, a village that can help bring each surreal concept to life as I grow as an artist and businesswoman.
As my work evolved, I began submitting to shows and exhibitions. One of my biggest blessings so far has been being accepted into the Harlem Fine Arts Show. I’m continuing to display my artwork in local spaces so people who might never meet me in person can still experience the work—and maybe see themselves in it. I started as a little girl who wanted to act, writing monologues and dreaming about the life I wanted. Now I’m a surrealist photographer designing images that feel like still frames from a dream—full of symbolism, emotion, and the courage to face what we usually hide. My name is Keonna, and I go by KTV. If you don’t remember me, I hope you remember the work. I am truly living the reality I once imagined and manifested. Stay blessed.
I create because silence has never been an option.
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