Arianie Sulaiman Keeney is a Singapore-American writer and photographer based in beautiful New England. She spent ten years as an expatriate in the Middle East. Prior to living and working overseas, Arianie wrote about education, politics, government, and culture in Greater New York City. Her professional experience also includes work as a news researcher, writer, and editor in broadcast journalism, as well as with nonprofit international-affairs think tanks.
Born into a multicultural Southeast Asian heritage and raised as a third-culture individual across Singapore, Thailand, and Indonesia, Arianie developed an international perspective shaped further by extensive travels throughout Australia, Europe, and North America. Her diverse cultural experiences continue to inform her writing, photography, and understanding of the world. In addition to her creative work, she managed the Dubai Classical Music community and supported the educational outreach of its World Classical Music Series through pre- and post-concert artist talks. Upon returning to the United States, Arianie served as Recording Board Secretary of the Winchester Town Historical Commission before joining the Lexington Symphony as Managing Director.
Arianie graduated with Distinction from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 1997 with a Diploma in Education, Art Theory, and Digital Media. She subsequently taught high school English and Art in Singapore for several years while actively participating in the Singapore art scene. During this period, she trained with multidisciplinary artist and director Zai Kuning through Metabolic Laboratory and developed an interdisciplinary artistic practice spanning performance, installation, film, and digital media. Her visual arts teachers and mentors included Ray Langenbach (USA), Guy LaPointe (Canada), and Paul O’Shea (Australia).
From 1996 through March 2000, Arianie performed installation-based works and exhibited digital installation art at venues including the Singapore Art Museum, The Substation: Home for the Arts, and CHIJMES H.O.P.E. Nokia. She presented Rasuk/Mystics as part of the Singapore Art Museum’s Artist in Education: Education in Art exhibition. She is also known for her performance-art work Ruminating Java Ruminating Bali, created in collaboration with international artists including American videographer Gregory McKean, German artists Iris and Ramon Schalleck, Canadian artist Ho Soon Yeen, and the late British sound engineer Nicholas Chua.
In the early 2000s, Arianie premiered short films at the Asian American Heritage Festival in Washington, D.C., and the Aurora Picture Show Women’s Festival in Houston, Texas. Her artistic practice in the United States included six years of artist residencies in San Diego and San Francisco, further expanding her work across photography, film, performance, and digital media.
In 2004, Arianie graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Houston, earning double bachelor’s degrees in Political Science, with a focus on American Foreign Policy, and Communications, specializing in Broadcast Journalism. She also completed minors in Photography, Film, and Digital Media. In 2007, she graduated Magna Cum Laude from Norwich University with a Master’s degree in Diplomacy, specializing in International Law and International Conflict Resolution.
Her academic and professional achievements have been recognized through several scholarships, including the Texas Association of Broadcasters Belo Corporation Scholarship, George Kirksey Scholarship, Houston Press Club Scholarship, and Maxine Mesinger Houston Chronicle Scholarship. She is also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and the Phi Beta Delta International Scholar Honor Society.
Arianie currently lives in the Greater Boston area with her husband, David, their three college-aged daughters, and their Persian rescue cat, Paatchi. Outside of her professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with her family, gardening, and exploring creative fiber arts.
