FINAL WEEKS | Beyond the Picturesque

The Taft Museum of Art proudly welcomes Ayana Ross as the 40th Duncanson Artist-in-Residence with a presentation of seven figural paintings. Known for her emotionally resonant portraiture and narrative storytelling, Ross captures the quiet strength and complexity of Black life, reflecting everyday moments that carry deeper meaning. Often drawing on her own experiences, her work explores intergenerational themes, current events, and cultural conversations shaping our world. Through ornamentation, Ross anchors her work in memory, preservation, and continuity. In this collection of paintings, she employs picturesque landscapes as a decorative motif, offering echoes of American ideals, elevating the subjects within her paintings, and inviting viewers to reflect on the world we have inherited and the one we continue to shape.
Header Image | Ayana Ross (American, b. 1977), Seed For The Sower, 2024. Photo by Deborah Whitlaw Llewellyn.