▁coll age , ▁installation , ▁audio , ▁video , ▁phot ography , ▁new ▁gen res , ▁writing , ▁speaking , ▁and ▁performance . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁dam ali ▁a yo ▁was ▁born ▁Dam ali ▁A yo ▁P atter son , ▁February ▁ 2 6 , ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁in ▁Washington , ▁D . C . ▁where ▁she ▁attended ▁Sid well ▁Fri ends ▁School ▁from ▁kind erg arten ▁through ▁high ▁school . ▁She ▁leg ally ▁dropped ▁her ▁last ▁name ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁ ▁A yo ▁earned ▁a ▁Bach elor ▁of ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁from ▁Brown ▁University ▁with ▁a ▁double ▁concentration ▁in ▁Public ▁Policy ▁and ▁American ▁Civil ization . ▁A yo ▁moved ▁to ▁Port land , ▁Oregon , ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁After ▁establish ing ▁her ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁self - t aught ▁artist , ▁she ▁was ▁invited ▁to ▁apply ▁to ▁Port land ▁State ▁University ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁in ▁studio ▁art ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁ ▁Visual ▁and ▁performance ▁art ▁A yo ▁created ▁work ▁in ▁the ▁tradition ▁of ▁concept ual ▁art . ▁Her ▁work ▁displayed ▁influ ences ▁from ▁artists ▁such ▁as ▁Ad rian ▁Pi per , ▁Y oko ▁O no , ▁On ▁K aw ara , ▁and ▁William ▁Pope . L . ▁She ▁used ▁a ▁wide ▁range ▁of ▁media ▁and ▁her ▁work ▁was ▁frequently ▁interactive . ▁Her ▁work ▁util ized ▁assemb lage , ▁coll age , ▁phot ography , ▁installation , ▁audio ,