Shavon Aja Morris (b.1991) approaches photography through collage. She reuses found photographs as a means for rediscovering the essence of the Black American woman. Morris draws inspiration from cultural publications and African American memorabilia dating back to the 1960s. Through layered visual storytelling, Morris invites us to reconsider our understanding of womanhood, resilience, and society's effects on femininity. Through the process of collecting, layering, scanning, and reprinting, Morris’s collages become unique compositions that challenge our perceptions of what we remember versus what we forget.

Occasionally, Shavon has also experimented with text-based techniques and other abstract approaches.

Exhibition History

Morris has exhibited at institutions such as Houston Museum of African American Culture (2024), Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2023) and the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Design (2021 Craft as a Tool for Activism.) She has participated in the San Francisco Museum of African Diaspora (2024 Benefit Auction,) and was recently recognized as one of the 25 finalists for the global 2024 Aperture Portfolio Prize (Longlist) underscoring her emergence as a significant contributor to the field of contemporary photography.