Ayana Ross (b. 1977) is an American artist based in the Atlanta, Georgia area. A Georgia native, her work often depicts images reflective of her life in the American South, drawing from personal experiences, memories, and family narratives to explore issues of race, identity, and gender equity. She combines traditional oil painting methods with the elaborate treatment of prints, patterns, and decorative designs elevating her subjects and giving reference to time and place while providing deeper context into the work.
Ross holds an MA degree in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design, a MA in Liberal Art from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro, and a BS in Design and Merchandising from Georgia Southern University. She has exhibited in several group shows, including The Bennett Prize II, Rising Voices group exhibition that will exhibit throughout the United States until 2023. In addition, her work is held in a number of prominent collections worldwide. In 2020, Ross was named a recipient of the National Balck Art Forward Artist Grant. In 2021 Ross was named the winner of The Bennett Prize II, the largest prize offered solely to women figurative painters, with a culminating solo show that will travel throughout the United States.
