This week’s TDM Instructor Spotlight features costume designer Dede Ayite, who taught Transformative Design (TDM 158A) this past semester!

What have you enjoyed about teaching in TDM?
I've enjoyed seeing my students take ownership of their ideas and work. Their journey has been the translation of conceptual ideas into tangible costume design using key principles and elements of design, drawing from the characters presented in a script.

What do you do as an artist outside of TDM? What’s an upcoming project you have that you’re excited about?
Outside of TDM I work as a costume designer. I’m most excited about Nollywood Dreams, a comedy written by Jocelyn Bioh focusing on a love story set against Nigeria’s film industry in the 90s.

What are some underlying themes in your artistic work?
As a costume designer my most important goal is to create a costume that is a conduit between the performer and the soul of the character. A lot of my work is motivated by challenging the historical notions of blackness by showcasing that history in a new light. I am a firm believer that when we tell the truth of these black histories we offer an opportunity to heal within ourselves.