Zaire Andersen ’19
Zaire Andersen ’19 (Printmaking, Global Black Studies minor) is a Master Printer at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn, NY, where she creates screenprints and large format editions using paper, textiles, wood, and metal.
Working with artist Ayo Janeen Jackson, she recently completed the two-color screen print Negro Peligro for Pelzer Projects.
Focusing on culture, proximity, and identity, Andersen interprets motifs such as fences, gates, landscapes, and signage as structures that shape visibility and social stereotypes.
Andersen is also an instructor at Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in New York City, where she teaches students to conceptualize, collaborate, and create using screen print as an artistic medium. She is passionate about learning and building community through artmaking and self-expression, a passion she attributes to a comprehensive, well-rounded Visual Arts program at Purchase.
“What I love about Purchase,” says Andersen, “is that there is no choosing between technical learning and conceptual learning.
“I had the opportunity to sharpen my skills as a maker while also digging deep into concepts and imagery that weren’t necessarily figurative.
“My professors invested in me and my practice, and that encouragement and rigor propels me to this day as I continue to make and grow.”
Above: Negro Peligro—One and two-color screenprints of political activist Assata Shakur created by artist Ayo Janeen Jackson and Zaire Andersen. The laser-cut prints are backed with reflective Mylar, creating text that spells out in Spanish, “Black Danger.” Hand deckled and printed on 22x30 BFK Rives printmaking paper.