Zayira Ray (b. 2000, New York City) is an Indian-American photographer and artist. Rooted in themes of love, community, and belonging, her portraits span culture, religion, and socioeconomic strata, highlighting diverse and soulful visual stories from all walks of life.
Encompassing the realms of contemporary portraiture, classical representation, and mythology, Ray documents stories of love, heritage, and sacred bonds. By constructing tangible “safe spaces” that serve as refuge from the outside world, her photographs highlight our interior spaces: sensibilities and aesthetics, fantasies and desires, moments of both solitude and solace, and the preservation of self.
Zayira Ray has been published in Vogue India, Vogue Magazine, The New York Times, ELLE, and Architectural Digest, and exhibited at PHILLIPS, MoMA PS1, and Photoville, among others. She has received recognition and awards from YoungArts, the Dedalus Foundation, NASDAQ, and PDN, and has been commissioned by a range of clients including Conde Nast, Samsung Mobile, and Sony Music Entertainment.
Ray was the recipient of the 2024 YoungArts Baxter St Residency, culminating in her debut solo show “interthread” at Baxter Street Camera Club’s storefront gallery for one month. Ray is a 2023 graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Photography & Imaging.
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