Amina Ross is an artist, educator, and lifelong learner who makes videos, sculptures, sounds, and situations. Their work has been recently exhibited at Someday (New York, NY), the Hessel Museum of Art (Hudson, NY), the Tang Teaching Museum (Saratoga Springs, NY), and Sentiment (Zurich, CH), among other venues. In the summer of 2023 they were a featured artist at the 68th annual Flaherty Film Seminar: Queer World Mending and in winter of 2024 they were a MacDowell Fellow. Currently, Ross is the 2023-2024 Estelle Lebowitz artist-in-residence at Douglass College, Rutgers University. They recently completed residencies at Fire Island Artist Residency, Skowhegan School of Sculpture and Painting, Wave Hill, Abrons Art Center, and Harvestworks. They hold a B.F.A. from School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a M.F.A. from Yale School of Art, where they received the Fannie B. Pardee Prize in sculpture. Forthcoming exhibitions include the group exhibition "Hard Ground" at MoMA PS1 curated by Jody Graf.
As an educator, Ross approaches the classroom as a site where they can co-create critical agency with students. They have taught at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, SAIC, Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons School of Design/The New School, and Vassar College. Ross lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
While in residence, Ross engaged in an extensive exploration of the natural and shifting landscapes at MacDowell through photography and mixed-media art. They created a series of photographs capturing their movements both indoors and outdoors, which they then printed onto fabric. They also devoted time to a durational piece involving mixed media, painting, and embroidery on satin - dedicating daily efforts to embroidery throughout their six-week stay.
In addition to their artistic production, Ross spent the latter weeks immersed in the MacDowell library, enriching their knowledge through video art, play readings, and architectural theory. These activities are poised to influence their upcoming sculptures and installations.
Ross has been invited to exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art PS1 in an exhibition titled "Hard Ground," curated by Jody Graf. The organic forms in Ross’ sculptures draw heavily on the natural elements like stones and landscapes they studied at MacDowell, melding these forms with representations of their own body. Ross was also awarded a residency at Smack Mellon, a position they secured while at MacDowell, underscoring the residency's impact on their career advancement.
Portrait by Sunny Leerasanthanah
