Daesha Devon Harris
Daesha Devón Harris
American artist
Daesha Devón Harris is an American artist whose work focuses on the links between freedom, identity, and history in African American communities, including themes of erasure and gentrification. She is active as a youth advocate, social activist, and a cultural historian preservationist. These values are evident in her work.
In 2020, Daesha was a recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, which aimed to support her work from July 2020 to June 2021.
Daesha’s 2020 solo exhibition Just Beyond the River. A Folk Tale was held at The Centre of Photography at Woodstock and drew inspiration from many aspects of African American history and culture, including Black folklore, slave narratives, and Harlem Renaissance poetry. Her layered photographs explore the relationship between America and African Americans, and the struggle for freedom in Black communities.
Daesha Devon Harris, I do not need Freedom when I’m dead. I cannot live on tomorrow’s bread, Fall 2017 © Daesha Devon Harris
Daesha Devon Harris, Precious is Freedom, high the price Bought ever at a sacrifice, Summer 2016, © Daesha Devon Harris
