Roots: a Photographic Journey by Rose Shepherd
On view in Gallery Photoland located on the first floor of Evans Hall from May 20th, 2024 through August 30th, 2024.
Artist Statement:
I am a “new” Indian living in the Pacific Northwest. I have lived here my entire thirty-nine years, and have long rejected the idea that I might never leave. Learning about my father’s Indigenous background and ancestors in my early to mid-thirties has transformed my perspective of this place that has grown to feel not only magical but full of knowledge. Roots: a Photographic Journey has been born out of a necessity to lean into the discomfort of accepting my history, my family, and my future.
By studying the land and various species in my surrounding environment, I’ve slowly come to realize the interconnections between them and myself. A lingering life-long question that has stayed in my mind has revolved around my identity. Who am I? I was a stay-at-home mom, a certified nurse’s assistant, a massage therapist, and an elementary school teacher. But, an uninvited uncertainty in my being had always occupied a vast majority of space. Through my photographs in Roots: a Photographic Journey, uncertainty has begun to shift into confidence. Self-doubt has slowly metamorphosized into self-actualization. I am an artist, here to present my truth, my expression, and acceptance of this place I call home.
As a Pacific Northwest Indigenous artist, I hope to continue exploring my newfound identity, cultural heritage, and photographic/ mixed media style. This series is an important project, because it provides the viewers an opportunity to connect to their own identities through nature. This work has helped me understand the importance in revealing a deeper truth about myself. We will all experience changes in ourselves, just as the earth experiences seasons. We will have moments of ebb and flow, growth and rest. Roots: a Photographic Journey is a way to experience the acceptance in letting go, and looking ahead.
Artist Bio:
Rose Shepherd (b. 1985) is a life-long Pacific Northwest Indigenous artist residing in the Olympia, Washington area. She explores both analog and digital photographic processes as well as mixed media visual arts. Her themes are often centered around nature. However, her stylistic choices are often thoughtfully selected through a lens of compassion and delicate care.
Rose started her artistic education at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon in 2021. Shortly after, she transitioned her studies to the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. While there her education in photography has intensified, resulting in her near completion of the Evergreen Multimedia Arts Internship Program in photography.
Shepherd’s work has been featured on Blue Koi Gallery’s website as an honorable mention for the Back to Nature Art Competition; at the Thurston County Museum of Fine Art’s Portals Exhibition for the 2024 Olympia Art’s Walk in Olympia, Washington; and most recently at the Ouroboros exhibition in the Evergreen Gallery. Roots: a Photographic Journey by Rose Shepherd is her first solo show featuring 20 archival inkjet prints, and two images printed on transparency paper in light boxes.
Curated by Rose Shepherd
Advisors: Gail Dillon-Hill and Carrie Chema
Design by: Rose Shepherd and Carrie Chema