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Brooke Shaden, an acclaimed fine art photographer, mixed media artist, and writer, is celebrated for her conceptual imagery and self-portraiture. Inspired by the belief that embracing ephemera leads to a fuller life, Shaden creates darkly surreal compositions that merge themes of nature and grief, offering powerful messages of hope.
Reflecting on her artistic journey, Shaden shared, “Growing up, I was plagued by nightmares, scared of absolutely everything. Art became my way of taking control over that darkness and bending it to my imagination. My works are sometimes disturbing but are always beautiful to me. Beauty and darkness work in tandem, and one cannot exist without the other. My work aims to prove that.”
The artist’s works are part of museum collections and are represented by five galleries. Sponsored by Sony and Microsoft, Shaden is also the co-founder of The Light Space, a photography program dedicated to empowering survivors and individuals vulnerable to human trafficking. Among her many honors, Shaden is a winner of Ron Howard’s “Project Imagination” and a Julia Margaret Cameron Award recipient. She has also been named one of Shutter Magazine’s Top 10 Most Influential Photographers and Neutral Density Photographer of the Year.
The SAMSARA exhibition will be showcased in the Charles W. Lamar Studio at the Anna Lamar Switzer Center for Visual Arts from Jan. 20 through May 2, 2025. An opening reception is set for Jan. 28 from 5 to 7:30 p.m., with Shaden delivering an artist lecture at 5:30 p.m. in the Lamar Lecture Hall (Room 1513). Admission is free and open to the public.