Zayira Ray

"interthread" is a collection of documentary portraiture that reimagines the photographic backdrop as a nomadic sanctuary and site of collective care: a physical safe space that exists free from the burdens of the exterior world. Traveling from photo studios in New York City to rooftops in New Delhi, the hand-painted canvases connect sitters across generations and national origins. Centering women and their bonds, the work explores belonging, solidarity, and love in its many forms. From a self-portrait of my mother oiling my hair, to identical twins navigating queerness together within the fashion industry, to my grandmother holding a photograph of herself and her sisters as teenagers as the only surviving sister, the photographs dwell in moments of shared intimacy, reconciling with what is lost in migration while honoring the interconnectedness of shared experience.