Zoë Pulley
antiphonies: conversations between material matters and stuff
What is the significance of the “stuff” we encounter? The stuff we collect / hold on to / keep within that brings us back to a place / time / memory?
How does the “stuff” connect us to a larger understanding of — place, history and ourselves?
How can the “stuff” serve as access points / stories / forgotten parts to the seemingly mundane?
In short — what is the significance of our material matter?
An exploration of the pervasive, intrinsic and everyday connections between materials and the stories they can offer.
About Zoë Pulley
zoë pulley (b.1993) is a designer and maker who utilizes stuff to surface the seemingly ordinary stories of Black folks through mixed media, typography, and audio. She defines “stuff” as artifacts both physical and nonphysical that may be relegated as unimportant to some—as merely stuff.
Most recently, Pulley has shown work in a group exhibition, Dress Code at the Newport Art Museum and a performance at RISD Museum. Her practice includes ongoing collaborations such as a wearable line inspired by her grandmother called GRAN SANS and a collectively authored publication titled Black Joy Archive. Her work is held in the collections of The Valentine Museum, the Hardvard Radcliffe Institute, and Printed Matter.
She earned a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015 and an MFA in graphic design from Rhode Island School of Design. Pulley is an inaugural recipient of the Rhode Island School of Design Society of Presidential Fellowship and was awarded the Graduate Graphic Designer to Watch by GDUSA in 2023. Zoë is currently an Artist-In-Residence at The Studio Museum In Harlem.