Shawn Jackson

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Shawn Jackson

Adjunct Associate Professor, Photography

Contact Info

Photography

Biography

Over the past decade, Shawn Theodore’s photographic process, one he has coined “Afromythology,” is a method of creating visual content untethered to time, and its goals are the dethroning of monolithic Black identities; broadening the discussion of Black figurative representation beyond futuristic ideation; and the decolonizing of postmodern and contemporary African American photography, collage and mixed media.

Experience 

  • Theodore has participated in exhibitions at various institutions, galleries and fairs, including the African American Museum, Philadelphia (2017, 2018); Mennello Museum of American Art (2018), Orlando, Florida; The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia (2017, 2018, 2019); Steven Kasher Gallery (2018), New York City; AIPAD (2018, 2019), New York City; Hudson Valley Community College (2018), Troy, New York; Catherine Edelman Gallery (2017), Chicago; The Bakalar & Paine Galleries at MassArt (2017), Boston; Snap! Orlando (2018), Florida; Richard Beavers Gallery (2018), Brooklyn, New York; PRIZM Art Fair, Miami; SCOPE Art Fair, Miami; Philadelphia Photo Arts Center; Rush Arts Gallery (2017, 2018), Philadelphia; University of the Arts (2019); and Photo LA Fair (2020). 

  • His commercial projects include works for Apple, The Atlantic, New York Magazine, The New York Times, RocNation, Paper Magazine, PDN, Showtime Networks, Smithsonian Magazine, among other organizations. 

Visit Shawn Theodore’s website.

Follow him on Instagram: @_xst.

Awards & Accolades 

Theodore has been honored for his work numerous times. 

  • He is a two-time nominee of The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage Fellowship and a past nominee of the Magnum Foundation Fund.

  • He was named among the prestigious PDN’s 30 New & Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2019.

  • Theodore was a 2018 Getty Images / ARRAY grantee for “Where We Stand.”

  • He was a 2018 Knight Foundation grantee for “A Dream Deferred.”