Ayana Ross paints captured moments of the past to address issues of race, identity and value systems. By seeking parallels between the past and present, she hopes to illuminate the beauty and strength of the black community and highlight stories of progression that may have been overlooked. Her everyday figures are inspired and informed by the images and events of her family’s history and their known origins in the American South. Combining nostalgia with contemporary motifs, she relates shared human experiences as an invitation to memory and discussion. Recent works have begun incorporating bold, graphic fields of pattern and color, energizing the compositions and lending a timelessness to their vintage character.
Ross initially received a BS in Apparel Design and Merchandising from Georgia Southern University and began her professional career as a designer and administrator in the fashion industry. She returned to school to earn a K-12 Teaching Certification in Art Education from Greensboro College and a MA in Liberal Arts from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Ross recently completed a MA in painting from the Savannah College of Art and Design and balances her painting with a career as an art instructor in the public schools and private sector. A painter and printmaker, Ross has exhibited around Georgia.
Ayana Ross resides in McDonough, Georgia.
Instagram: @ayanarossart
