Keyaira Terry is an artist with a bold spirit and an old soul.
Born and raised in Ukiah, a small farm town in Northern California, Keyaira had a childhood that was deeply connected to the soil and earth, learning to use everything around her as a tool or resource. Keyaira spent her formative years with her grandmother sewing, tending to the land they lived on, and caring for an array of farm animals. Trading goods and commodities among their close-knit farm community was commonplace and shaped Keyaira’s perspective on sustainability and the true meaning of “locally sourced”. Keyaira recalls utilizing all the resources available to her and minimizing waste as being a paramount part of her existence, “if we didn’t have it we made it, if something broke we fixed it”. These collective experiences helped cultivate Keyaira as an artist and inspire her present-day work and ethos — A homespun nostalgia with a modern sensibility, rooted by a love for natural, sustainable and ethically sourced materials.
In 2012, Keyaira opened an Etsy shop, selling unique handbags with leather accents. Naturally evolving and self-taught, she transitioned into custom leather work and tapestry weaving. Keyaira completed her first fiber installation piece in 2016 for the office of Michael Cantwell, MD. In 2018 she started teaching her unique style of weaving at several venues across the bay area. 2019 brought a new opportunity for Keyaira; she combined her love of leather and fiber in her first solo exhibition at Gallery 212 in Sonoma, California.
Keyaira currently resides in Santa Rosa, California with her husband, Weston, and their two English bulldogs, Lola and Olive. She splits her time between running her own business as a designer and maker, weaving instructor, and creating commissioned pieces.
She has collaborated with companies such as Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, 3north, Studio 11 Designs, Bustle Events and has been featured by Apartment Therapy, Amazon Handmade, Etsy and Sonoma Magazine.
