Nona Faustine

Nona Faustine is a Brooklyn-born photographer and visual artist known for her powerful exploration of race, history, and identity. Her work confronts the legacy of slavery and systemic racism in America, often using her own body in historically significant locations to evoke deep reflection on the past's impact on the present. Faustine’s art challenges viewers to consider the untold stories embedded in public spaces and monuments. One of her most notable series, White Shoes, features self-portraits taken at sites tied to New York’s history of slavery, such as Wall Street and City Hall. In this series, Faustine reclaims these spaces, highlighting the erasure of Black history in everyday environments. Another impactful work, They Tagged the Land with Trophies and Institutions from Their Rapes and Conquests, explores how colonization and violence are etched into landscapes and institutions. Faustine’s work has been exhibited in prominent institutions such as the Brooklyn Museum, the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. She has received numerous accolades, including the 2021 Anonymous Was A Woman Award and the 2019 Finalist Award for the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition. Her photography continues to spark conversations about memory, representation, and the power of art to challenge historical narratives.