A native of Washington, D.C., Kristen Hayes received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Hampton University, where she had the opportunity to study under the artist-inresident, James Phillips, a member of the Africobra group.  His use of the group’s “kool-aid” colors directly influenced the use of a more spirited palette in her own work.

In 2000, she obtained a Masters of Fine Arts degree form Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York,  Exploring her natural tendency to use abstract contour lines with an energetic palette became her focus, as she drew upon organic shapes and forms that represented energy, sprit, and the idea of reproduction. 

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