Saida Blair

Storytelling is integral to Black culture. As a Caribbean oral historian and artist from Harlem, NY, this idea propels Saida Blair’s work.

Blair’s interest in storytelling began in childhood, as a Trinidadian and Jamaican girl trying to understand her cultural background, sneaking into the hallway to catch her aunts and uncle gossiping about home. She pieced together those fragments, creating a visual mosaic of what “home” looked like to her.

Blair carries that methodology forward today. She collects stories shared with her and uses art to spark conversations about the topics and events shaping her community. Mixing contemporary and archival images across timelines, she builds dynamic narratives of the past. Her goal: creating spaces where Black art and history can be preserved, cared for, and celebrated.

Blair holds a BFA in Photography and Art History from SUNY Purchase and recently earned her MA in Visual and Critical Studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.