Bio

Ariel Mannie (she/her) is a textile artist and designer. Born in Chicago and raised in Harvey, Illinois, her work explores cultural memory, ancestral knowledge, and the evolving relationship between African American and African cultural practices. Working primarily through quilting, she examines how inherited traditions function as vessels for storytelling, resistance, and community care.

Drawing from research into Kongo cosmology, Pan-Africanism, Adire, and African American quilting traditions, Ariel creates works that trace connections across time and geography. Through geometric forms, symbolism, and layered material histories, her practice considers how shared visual languages and beliefs continue to shape collective identity and cultural continuity.

Ariel received her MFA in Textiles from Parsons School of Design at The New School in 2026.