Aryf was adopted to Sweden at 12½ months old, to an Indian father and Swedish mother.  Around two years later, his sister arrived, also from Korea. The family lived in Vällingby (a suburb of Stockholm) till he was almost 10, and then moved to Canada (Toronto and Edmonton).  He has since been in Los Angeles more than half his life.

Being 'the exception', has always been the norm (whether by appearance, language ability or family members), but because of that, he has always felt he has several 'homes' and cultures to belong to. 

Aryf started taking Korean language classes in 2006, and language is often the gateway to every aspect of (Korean) culture.

Aryf is very appreciative of the AKA-LA community, where he continues to hear stories of discovery, resilience, healing, friendships, belonging and simply joy for being connected to others. 

Almost every moment of his free time is spent on his music and photography projects, especially geared toward collaborations and widening the communities in those pursuits.