about me

My name is Ayana davis (they/them/theirs)

I am a product of the South Side of Chicago. As a multidisciplinary artist, I aim to bring presence into a world where we are moving too fast. Nothing made me realize this more than the pandemic. 

My recent work aims to highlight that which was missed during quarantine: seeing my friends smile and spending a day outside in the sun. Both, I took for granted. At the same time, my work aims to honor what we all felt: isolation, distance, the familiar becoming unfamiliar, dangerous even.

With each exposure, I aim to uplift the simple beauties within my subjects.

Nearly every picture you see on this website was taken by my Pentax MX using good ol’ 35 millimeter film. I used it once and fell in love. I am most present in this process because of the level of involvement required to shoot, process, and print film.

I like to keep things simple, but I will use film and any medium necessary to document my growth as a person and an artist while highlighting the beauty within my communities.

I display this work to you as an invitation into these now, everlasting moments.