335

Ruby Dora is a Los Angeles–based textile artist working primarily with embroidery, beads, and sequins to create mandala-inspired works rooted in meditation, ritual, and resistance to automation. Her practice centers on the power of slow, intentional labor as a counterpoint to the rise of AI-generated imagery and the increasing devaluation of human touch in artmaking.

Born with an instinct for precision craft, Ruby studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she received her BFA and began exploring textiles as both sacred object and narrative form. After graduating, she worked closely with several renowned artists, including Marina Abramović, Gale Gregg, and Mariette Pathy Allen, assisting with archiving, catalog preparation, and studio production. These formative years deepened her understanding of how art is preserved, contextualized, and carried forward.

Since 2008, Ruby has worked under the name Ruby Dora Design, creating personal works and private commissions that merge symbolism, geometry, and emotional resonance. Her mandalas are built through repetition and accumulation, each stitch acting as a timestamp of presence. She views her process not only as aesthetic construction but as a form of quiet defiance against disposability, speed, and the assumption that digital simulation can replace human care.

Her work reflects both personal inquiry and collective memory, drawing influence from Los Angeles’s layered cultural landscapes. Through color, reflection, and texture, Ruby invites viewers to slow down and witness what remains when technology steps aside.