Malaika Ross (she/her) is a Caribbean American visual artist whose work explores the relationship between soil, flowers, and her identity as a Black diasporic woman. Drawing from her background in soil microbiology, she creates two-dimensional artworks inspired by microscopic life and the flora of Western Massachusetts.
She earned her B.A. from Hampshire College, where she studied the impact of solar arrays on soil microbial activity. In 2019, she shifted from scientific research to visual storytelling, using drawing and painting to celebrate the beauty of soil microbes and botanical forms.
Raised on the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands, she bonded with the natural world as a child—playing in the dirt, learning plant-based healing from the women in her family, and exploring her grandmother’s kitchen garden. These experiences continue to guide her creative process today.
In 2023, following a breast cancer diagnosis, her practice expanded to include The Visibility Project and Novel Bodies, Novel Landscapes. These ongoing series center the Black female figure in real and imagined environments, offering reflections on healing, power, and transformation.