bio
shāna is a fine art photographer from Huntington, NY. Her art is not about image, it’s about essence, and as such she thinks of the work as spiritual photography. The images explore one’s connection to self, each other, and the natural world using mostly old manual cameras with black & white film and lately, mobile photography. She came to photography back in 2003 following a period of great personal losses, including health and family, when a friend loaned her a camera. shāna believes these devastating series of losses created space, unwittingly, to birth her creativity. While struggling with questions regarding despair vs. life the camera became her lifeline. It soon became apparent that photography was to become her life’s endeavor as a connection to the medium quickly deepened. One can say that shāna used this new opportunity as a way to re-shape her world. Her intention was to connect and make good pictures; not to theorize about them – that came much later. The constraints and ramifications of living with chronic illness inform much of her art, as themes of connection and isolation permeate much of the work. “Do I matter?” “What is my place in this world?” The compulsion to answer these questions is the driving force of her work. It’s an existential need to know she exists.
shāna’s work has been in over 50 group exhibitions across the U.S. & Europe; is included in publications; has received several awards; and currently is in 3 private collections.