A few years ago, I wandered into the calm corner of an immersive pop-up group exhibition, brought to life in a previously empty space. There, artist Ori Jai recreated a grandparent’s living room. The space was a tribute to Black and African diasporic history, woven together from the voices of elders. Every detail, from the worn furniture to the heirlooms atop each surface, hummed with warmth, memory, and history.
A collage made tangible, waiting for us to listen.
Ori Jai, also known as The Syringa Fairy, is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, curator, and published model whose roots trace back to a childhood in Maryland. She headed south to Atlanta for college, where she studied both art and history. She describes this period as "the most beautiful melding of my heart and mind." Ori then found her way to Charlotte, where her unique blend of passions has continued to flourish.
Her lifelong fascination "with the archives of [her] loved ones, chosen kin, and those around [her]," may explain why a love-filled corner of home seemed to sprout so effortlessly in the middle of an exhibition. Ori understands that home—like history—is a composition, stitched together from many moments, stories, and people.
“Documentation is a birthright as a Black person, something stripped from us many times,” Ori explains. “So archiving to me is revolutionary, a reclamation of our own stories and narratives.” This knowledge fuels her art, which blends collage, photography, printmaking, and curation to create an evolving archive. One that is tactile, deeply personal, and cosmically inspired. Her work resists confinement, reflecting the expansiveness of human experience.
She blossomed in her 2023 debut solo exhibition, Ultraviolet: Unharmed, curated by arts leader and mentor Carla Aaron-Lopez. The show explored the duality of self and surroundings, "particularly as a woman in a field where our voices are often marginalized." Ori used this platform to challenge preconceived notions about women, confronting shadows and embracing the beauty found within the eerie, unconventional, and haunting. “A love letter to self is a declaration of dedication to community,” she shared at the time.
In 2024, Ori stepped into the role of curator, debuting Every Shut Eye Ain’t Sleep, a group exhibition in Pittsburgh exploring the Black experience through the lens of home. Designed as an immersive journey at 38a Gallery, the show invited viewers to navigate the carefully curated space of a Black family home as honored guests. The exhibit was a natural evolution of the installation work she began exploring in 2021, marking a full-circle moment and demonstrating how the threads of her past projects weave into the present.
'I always feel that every visit to a kindred spirit’s house is a trip to the museum, all of their most prized possessions and pieces of their history on brilliant display," Ori muses. She loves seeing "their hearts not only on their sleeves, but plastered on the walls, and tucked away in hand-bound books."
Later in the year, she brought her curatorial vision here to Charlotte with Queens & Kings at a pop-up version of 38a Gallery, a space I sincerely hope will become a permanent fixture in the city. Focused on photography and visual storytelling, the exhibition highlighted the raw energy and untold stories that shape urban life, featuring work by Bryant Lindsay, Khadija Sugulle, and Mike Jones. Ori engaged the community with programming for local artists, youth workshops, and interactive experiences, all aimed at bringing the creative voices of the Queen City to the forefront.
Beyond the gallery walls, Ori’s creative journey is boundless. She is a graphic and apparel designer for The Whitaker Group, lending her vision to brands like Social Status, A Ma Maniére, APB, and 38a Gallery. She’s also an accomplished model, something she describes as another extension of her interest in presence and place.
As the founder of vegan wellness brand Cult Classics and a yoga instructor, she adds movement and nourishment to her creative toolbox. This March, she will launch Centered at the Center, a wellness and art experience at the Harvey B. Gantt Center that will blend yoga, meditation, sound healing, curated cuisine, and digital creativity.
Ori’s work reminds us that we don’t have to choose between being one thing or another. We are allowed to be layered, to embrace the power of multiplicity. Her art, curation, and wellness efforts all center around rejecting the idea that we must fit neatly into one category. We are many stories, always in progress. We are home.
To keep up with Ori’s work, follow her on Instagram at @ori.jai and @meet.thekernel
By Alexandra Smith