Hispanic Heritage Month | A Conversation with Artist Kayleen Berry: How Ecological Inquiries Shape Art Today

 
The Office of the President invites all members of the Hostos community to a special artist presentation with Kayleen Berry, a Puerto Rican artist originally from the Bronx, and member of the Hostos family, who will be sharing how ecological research informs her artistic practice.

Several of her pieces will also be on display at the Hostos Research Center.

Register for the event here.

About the Artist

Kayleen Berry (b. 1994) is a Puerto Rican artist based between Upstate New York and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Originally from the Bronx, Berry relocated to California in 2012 to study textiles and graphic design at California College of the Arts, earning her BFA in Textiles in 2017. While she began her creative path in commercial design, Berry ultimately transitioned to fine art, now focusing on large-scale paintings and mixed media works that explore identity, ecology, and cultural memory.

Her practice merges surrealism with field research, collaborating with scientists and ecologists to investigate themes of extinction, migration, and the complex relationship between humans and the natural world.

Berry’s emotionally charged compositions often feature intricately rendered animals in dreamlike, symbolic landscapes. As a ‘Diasporican,’ her work reflects on themes of displacement, hybridity, and resilience, inviting viewers into liminal worlds where myth, memory, and ecology intersect.

In addition to her studio practice, Berry has worked professionally as a print designer for companies such as Levi Strauss & Co., where she contributed to the global menswear line and collaborated on projects with Travis Scott, Snoop Dogg, and Denim Tears. She continues to design exclusive prints and patterns for boutique brands while building a research-driven art practice grounded in land-based knowledge and visual storytelling.
 
Kayleen Berry website is here.