Aja Dandridge

Aja Dandridge is a self-taught visual artist who graduated from Hiram College with a major in Creative Writing and BA in Fine Arts. While she’s married to her written prose, she’s always loved the world of art. Aja is originally from Cleveland, OH but her imagination extends far beyond the city’s borders. She’s an acrylic painter who creates striking color contrasts and interesting figures, breathing life into each of her paintings. Aja has studied other artists through YouTube and social media to help develop her own artistic style. She often explores various painting techniques and experiments with unique materials, such as gold foil, crystals and artificial flowers. This method has allowed her creativity to flow freely without any limitations. Much of her artwork is inspired by her love for Urban Fantasy books, Mythology and her own real-life experiences as a black woman.

 Aja’s acrylic paintings have a large focus on Black Representation and female empowerment, all immersed in a backdrop of fantasy. Aja hopes to contribute to the growing need for more Black Representation and female empowerment in the art world. Furthermore, Aja’s award-winning artwork has been featured in several literary magazines, art festivals and gallery exhibitions throughout Ohio. This past February, her Solo Art Exhibition See Through Her Eyes was held at the Ashtabula Art Center in Ashtabula, Ohio. Most recently, she completed four commissioned art pieces for the Cleveland Guardians in April 2025. The sports team presented Aja with a commerative plaque and city award. The plaque was installed, along with her four paintings, in the administrative building of Progressive Field in May. Aja’s artwork appeared in a New York Times Square Billboard in mid-October.