Cocoa Rae David is a Rochester based visual artist and photographer who creates captivating portraits of unique, diverse people that capture their true essences. Her style consists of vivid colors, Afrocentric shapes and vibes, as well as bold lighting techniques. Cocoa Rae’s goal is to create a new style of photography that promotes body positivity and self love. Cocoa Rae has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in digital photography.
During her undergraduate years of art school, Cocoa Rae started a year-long portrait array called Pigment Series; a collection of mixed media artwork that consists of semi-nude photography and body painting. Each portrait captures the true essence of the model while promoting self-love, body positivity, and individuality. After graduating, Cocoa Rae continued to work on the Pigment Series as well as other various artistic projects.
In 2019, She became an Artist in Residence at Flower City Arts Center. Through all her years of work, Cocoa Rae has collaborated with various people and institutions, such as: The Slave Dwelling project, The Cocktail Bandits, Charleston Fashion week, Charleston Magazine, Tedx Talks, Rochester Artist Collaborative, Writers and Books, George Eastman House, and various others. In addition She also curated the Black Lives through Lenses gallery at The Avenue Blackbox Theatre in honor of Daniel Prude.
