About | iyanna the model

About Iyanna

Iyanna James-Stephenson, most widely known as Iyanna The Model, is an internationally published muse, performance artist, writer, filmmaker, and DJ.

She is a Queer, Caribbean Black woman who grew up in sunny Miami, FL, and spent her childhood visiting her maternal family in Philadelphia and her paternal family in Jamaica.

Eventually she left home to pursue education in New England, and earned a Bachelor's of the Arts in Philosophy and a NEXUS minor in Law, Public Policy, and Human Rights, with a focus on race and women from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

Initially, Iyanna wanted to pursue a career in civil rights litigation, but pivoted into arts after becoming inspired during her year abroad, teaching in South Korea.

Over the years, Iyanna has refined her artist mission to: truth and authenticity; highlighting freedom, expression, and the freedom of expression, through the body. Her philosophy studies have informed the intention around her art, and her commitment to the sensual arts. As an aspiring somatic sexologist, much of her work also revolves around using the body for introspection, confidence development, the evocation of complex emotion, spiritual channeling, mental liberation, and raw expression.

Iyanna's sensual art expression has been showcased during LIVE body art shows and art gallery activations, music videos, and AfroBurlesque™: her own style of dance fusing Burlesque and West African Drumming, embodied by her alter ego, FELINE AGBARA.

Iyanna has always been a music curator, and has recently began DJing July 2024. Her and DJ Niles, are now the only resident DJs at Darling Rooftop, with their monthly event entitled: DISCO DANCEHALL!

Iyanna has lived in 3 countries, 2 continents, and has visited over 15 different countries worldwide.

Iyanna is currently represented model by WeSpeak Models and is based in Brooklyn.