About AYA
Celebrate Indigenous Art with Us!
We believe that art is transformative, and that eyewear can be the canvas to share stories and art from around the world. AYA Eyewear was first launched in 2009 in collaboration with renowned First Nations Artist Corrine Hunt and has continued to flourish and grow every year.
We are committed to the details and realize that beautiful design takes time, precision, and attention, so we don’t cut corners. We stand by our product. We treat our artists as our partners and make sure that their stories and art are always shared in the most heartfelt authentic way.
We take pride in our service and seek opportunities to give back to the communities we serve and the artist’s charities of choice.
AYA Eyewear is truly a brand that stands out from the crowd and is loved by Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities alike.
Giving Back
Through the sales of the AYA eyewear brand, we have been instrumental in helping provide over 700,000 meals to children who would have otherwise gone without a nourishing breakfast.
Product donations to many communities across North America have been made to help elders and communities in need. To make a difference in the community, AYA has worked with strong grass roots partners like ONEXONE, Iskwew Air, Pacific Association of First Nations Women in conjunction with their annual scholarship fund, and Agape Therapeutic Riding Resources. Making A Difference (claudiaalan-us.com)
Put together spectacular landscapes, unique experiences, and a vibrant living culture and you have a remarkable opportunity to thrive in the tourism business. Nowhere can this be more true than with Aboriginal tourism products, of which there are stunning examples across Canada." - Tourism Canada Magazine
"It is truly a wonderful honour to be associated with such a passionate and caring company. At ONEXONE we believe in helping children one by one as well as the power of each individual to make a difference and nowhere is this more apparent than in the partnership we've developed with Claudia Alan/AYA Accessories." - Joey Adler, ONEXONE
Corrine Hunt
World renowned First Nations artist Corrine Hunt was our first artist collaboration and has continued to evolve every year to continue to bring new and compelling designs to our AYA Eyewear. Born in Alert Bay British Columbia, Corrine has been creating contemporary art that reflects the themes and traditions of her First Nations Komoyue and Tlingit heritage since 1985. Corrine was chosen as the Olympic medal co-designer for the 2010 Winter games, and was the recipient of the 2011 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards.
Donald Chrétien
The unique style and impact of Aboriginal fine artist Donald Chrétien springs from his combined passion for colour and woodland-style expression. His ongoing exploration of his heritage has him concentrating on distinct features of Ojibwe clans acrylic on canvas.
Michael A. Koby Turtleheart
Michael is a 2S (Cree & Eastern Tsalagi) artist & storyteller - downloading the ancestors, remixing them in the present, & sending them as Medicine 2 the future generations.
Helene Nez
Helene is from an incredibly famous and talented family of weavers, her mother, Grace Nez, and 7 sisters are all award winning and highly respected Navajo Master Weavers. Helene learned weaving from her mother, Master Weaver Grace Nez. She started weaving when she was 19, in 1996.
Phil Gray
Phil is an artist from the Ts’msyen and Cree Nations. Born and raised in Vancouver.Phil’s work focuses on the traditional Ts’msyen style of carving and formline design, a hereditary right passed down through his mother. His goal has always been to help raise the profile of Ts’msyen art while creating art for traditional use to help maintain connections with his people and heritage. Phil also likes displaying his artwork via non-traditional items and locations as a creative way to share Ts’msyen art with a broader audience.
Amanda Westley
Amanda is a Ngarrindjeri artist, born in Victor Harbor, South Australia. Amanda’s paintings represent country from an aerial view. For Aboriginal people land has a spiritual and cultural connection, and is so important to their identity and way of life. Amanda uses a combination of colours to represent the land and ocean, uses brighter tones to represent the country during different seasons and times of day. Amanda’s family is one of the oldest Aboriginal families on the south coast of Australia.
Kathy Marianito
Navajo Master Weaver Kathy Marianito was born in 1932 and her Navajo name is Yiintbaah – Lady with Courage. Her work is sought after by collectors, as she is one of the few Navajo weavers using silk and alpaca in addition to traditional Churro yarn. For the Navajos weaving is an inherited occupation. Traditionally little girls learn it from their grandmothers, or in Kathy’s case, from her own mother, who learned it from generations before. Kathy Marianito is a true descendant of master weavers.