Shani Crowe

b. 1989, Chicago, IL

Education 

2011                Howard University, Washington D.C., Bachelor of Arts             

Solo Exhibitions 

2022            “RED, BLACK, & GREEN,” The August Wilson African American Cultural Center,  Pittsburgh, PA

2020            “BRAIDS,” Corvus Gallery, The University Of Chicago , Chicago, IL 

2016                "BRAIDS," Fountainhead Lofts, Chicago Art District, Chicago, IL 

2014                “HighCoup,” Elee.Mosynary Gallery, Chicago Art District, Chicago, IL

Group Exhibitions 

2024             “Flight into Egypt:Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now,” Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

2024          “The Narratives of Black Hair,” Magnin-A, Paris, France 

2023         “Black is The Color of The Cosmos,” Washington Park Arts Incubator, Chicago, IL

2023         “How to Build a Queendom,” Blanc Gallery , Chicago, IL 

2022         “Broken Glass Ceilings and The Freedom Of Love,” Cherry Mountain Arts, Chicago, IL

2020         “Duro Olowu: Seeing Chicago,” Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL 

2019                "Thrival Geographies (In my Mind I see a Line)," as part of Dimensions of Citizenship, at Wrightwood 659, 

                         Chicago, IL

2019                "In Place of Now,” Opalka Gallery, Sage College of Albany, Albany, NY

2018                "Rest in Power, Rest in Peace," as part of 29 Rooms, Refinery 29, Chicago, IL

2018                "Thrival Geographies," as part of Dimensions of Citizenship, Venice Architecture Biennale, Venice, Italy

2015                "Shift: Chicago Artist Collectives," Columbia University, Chicago, IL

2015                "Black to the Future," Barbara Sizemore Academy, Chicago, IL

2014                "S.W.A.N." Ian Sherwin Gallery, Chicago, IL

Art Expositions

2018                Scope New York: "Untitled,” in collaboration with Bryant Giles, Good Details Gallery, New York, NY 

2017                Scope Miami Beach: "Boundless Bounty of Dreaming," in collaboration with Max Sansing, Good Details

Gallery. Miami, FL

Performances

2023         “In Defense of Safety,” as part of Refractions of Freedom, David and Reva Logan Center, Chicago, IL

2018                "Black Woman Space, a Performative Primer," as part of Dimensions of Citizenship, Venice 

Architecture  Biennale, Venice, Italy 

2017                “No White People Were Harmed…,” The Broad Museum, Los Angeles, CA

2017                “New Growth,” UICA, Grand Rapids, MI

Residencies 

2023 Arts + Public Life and the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture artist residency, 

                      Washington Park Arts Incubator, Chicago, IL 

2020 Kistenbroker Family Artist Residency, The University of Chicago Laboratory School, Chicago, IL  

2016 Artist in Residence, Stony Island Arts Bank, Chicago IL

Special Projects

2023         “DOME”, WNDR Museum, Chicago, IL

2019         “DUAFE: A Portal To a Dimension of Hairdressing and Extensions”, Afro-Punk, Brooklyn,NY; Atlanta, GA 

2018         Diaspora del Sol, Havana Cuba 

2016                Solange Knowles, Saturday Night Live performance

2016                “The Art of Braiding,” Soho House, Chicago IL 

Brand collaborations  

2016 Gap : Styled by campaign 

2016 Toyokalon: Afropunk activation

2017 RedBull 30days Chicago: Lizzo show photo exhibit “EVERYBODY”

2018 Shea moisture: SxSW

2018 Refinery 29: 29 rooms Chicago 

2018               HBO : Random Acts of Flyness, art exhibit 

2019 Essence Beauty Carnival 

2019 Afropunk: New york, Atlanta 

2020 Nike: BHM 

2020 Adobe Black voices 

2020 BET the twenties, art exhibit 

2020 Enstrumental : RBG  centennial 

2021 Apple TV guest curation 

2021 Vice news 

2021 Bloomberg x Ebony magazine 

2022 JoeFreshGoods 

Bibliography

2023        Ewing, Eve L. “Dreams Rush To Meet Me: Afrofuturist Looks and Looking .” Afrofuturism: A History of

Black Futures , Smithsonian Books, Washington , DC, 2023, pp. 118–121. 

2019               Chen, Nancy.  “A Space for Citizenship: The U.S. Pavilion at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale on View 

              for the First time in the United States” NewCity Design, April 2, 2019

2019              “Who’s Got Next?”. Chicago Magazine, March 27, 2019

2019               Vitali, Marc. “Artists, Architects Reimagine the Possibilities of Design in ‘Dimensions of Citizenship’.

WTTW Chicago, March 12, 2019

2018                Davidson, Eliza. "29Rooms Chicago is an Artist Feast for the Senses" ChicagoTribune.com, July 25, 2018

2018                Kamin, Blair. "Chicago in Venice: A first look at the U.S. pavilion at the Venice Architecture       

              Biennale".  Chicago Tribune, May 23, 2018.

2018                Schott, Julie. "What Artist Shani Crowe Wants You to Know About Braids". Elle.com, January 11, 2018

2018                Valenti, Lauren. "These 5 Women Are Living Works of Art, From Their Neon Braids to Natural          
                        Hair  Sculptures". Vogue.com, February 27, 2018

2018                Codinha, Cotton. "Shani Crowe on the Art of Creating Showstopping Braids". Elle.com, April 21, 2018

2017                Sargent, Antwaun. "For Solange Collaborator Shani Crowe, Braids are Art". Vice.com, July 4, 2017

2016                Pierre, Sharlyn. "Shani Crowe Creates Royal Headdresses Suitable For Solange".       

                        WMagazine.com, November 7, 2016

2016                Best, Tamara. "Black Women and Braids: Images Align Their History". NYTimes.com, August 25, 2016

2016                "Best of Chicago 2016". Chicago Magazine, July 11, 2016

Teaching

2015                Instructor, University of Chicago, Summer Lab

2015                Guest Lecturer, A Long Walk Home, Inc.,

2014                Instructor, University of Chicago, Summer Lab

Awards and Grants 

2019                Chicago Artist Coalition Coney Family Fund 

2015                3AP Artist, 3Arts

2010                Recipient Trustee Scholarship

Collections 

Smart Museum, Chicago IL 

Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA

Private Collection: Chicago, New York, Toronto, London, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.