Mahalia ('ma-hay-lee-yah') Henry-Richards is an artist and designer fascinated by the interplay between computation and the multi-sensory human experience. Their playful and exploratory approach challenges the traditional divide between physical and digital, pushing the boundaries of space and interaction.

With an interdisciplinary background spanning architecture and spatial design, to cartographic and user experience design, Mahalia has worked on diverse projects within the design industry. She was previously a lecturer at the University for the Creative Arts before joining the Creative Computing Institute in 2021.

Mahalia holds an MArch in Design for Performance and Interaction from the Bartlett (UCL) and a BA in Interior Architecture from Nottingham Trent University. Alongside their research and teaching, they are a musician and live-coder, incorporating performance as an intrinsic element of their creative practice.

At the Creative Computing Institute, Mahalia teaches on the MSc Creative Computing program and is currently undertaking a PhD exploring how Generative AI could transform learning and teaching . The research uses speculative design to imagine future educational possibilities, advocating for a more ethical and personalised AI, aligned with individual learning journeys.