Ayana Zaire Cotton is a transdisciplinary ![]()
, and
whose current practice is rooted in the research of craft, technology, and liberation. Her past projects include DISTRIKT, a collective print publication platform showcasing the art, politics, and style of the DC metro area artist community and Zaire Studio, a fashion line as a platform for researching labor studies and aesthetics through textiles, photography, and storytelling.



- Wherewithal Research Grant Recipient, 2020-21
- Exercises for Emerging Artists Program – E17: Zines, Transformer DC 2020
- The Otolith Group — Xenogensis Salons, Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), 2020
- When I Get Home, Solange, 2019featuring the Zaire Studio Arm Cuff
- Style Dimension: Ayana Zaire Is Using Her Brand To Study the Link Between Labor & Black Women, Okay Africa, 2018 by AMARACHI NWOSU
- Free Style — The Best Looks at Afropunk Marched to Their Own Beat, Vogue, 2017 featuring the Zaire Studio jumpsuit worn and customized by Anthony Prince
- Transcending Limitations, TEDxUMD Conference, 2015
Ayana is currently working on Seeda, a Black cultural research project
studying at the intersection of ecology, technology, and collective care.
Ayana is currently working on Seeda, a Black cultural research project
studying at the intersection of ecology, technology, and collective care.
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︎ LAST UPDATED: DECEMBER 17, 2020, 8:44 AM