Cleaster Cotton is an American artist, educator, inventor, and cultural conservationist, with ancestors spanning the African diaspora. Born into a large, close-knit family, she was lovingly raised by southern parents in the heart of Brooklyn, New York.
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Her alma maters are Fordham University and San Diego City College.
“We are all artists at birth. Many of us are taught otherwise when our creativity is stunted and not nurtured by our family. Art is my journey to freedom. I love the powerful healing qualities of art and the way it embraces and joins people across the planet like global glue. Art nurtures children to grow into creative, productive, well-adjusted adults and grows adults into innocent children with uncharted imaginations.” C. Cotton (2005)
In 1999, Cleaster "Klee-Esta" invented the ALNUGĒ Codes, visual language, and evidence-based practice, known as 'the modern-day hieroglyphics', to empower students into higher-order thinking and academic excellence and to provide educators with a dynamic tool that makes teaching fun. She is the author of "Code Games and Puzzles: The ALNUGĒ Method" (2015).
Cleaster is an exhibited mixed media artist. In 2019, she was commissioned to design a public art installation, 'the gateway to the historic African American business district' in downtown Asheville, North Carolina, entitled, Going To Market.
Cleaster's work is deeply rooted in her ability to tell stories visually and verbally. Cotton proclaims the healing powers of art and literature. In 2018, an excerpt from Soul Singin' was installed as public art at the French Broad River in Asheville's River Arts District. In addition to Soul Singin', she has written and performed poetry and prose such as A Place Called Broken Hearted, Child Safety, and Blessed.
Cleaster Cotton visits Princeton University in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene to present Cleaster Cotton: Soul Singin’ After the Storm. The hurricane recently made landfall in the Appalachian Mountain city of Asheville, North Carolina, and caused catastrophic devastation and destruction. Asheville's River Arts District attracts millions of tourists each year, houses hundreds of creative arts businesses, and has been home to Cleaster Cotton for over a decade. “I come to Princeton to place a marker in time, in honor of my ancestors whose lives were disrupted historically, and to pay tribute to those whose lives were recently lost and disrupted by Hurricane Helene. Asé.”
"Art is a healing practice. Observe a child's creative process. Embrace artmaking as a continuum. Enjoy the journey as the prize." ~ Cleaster Cotton (circa 2005)
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