Carrie Mae Weems was born in Portland, Oregon in 1953. She has studied both art and folklore during her explorations of society and culture, receiving a BFA from California Institute of the Arts, an MFA from University of California and an MA in folklore from University of California. Receiving international acclaim for her photography and video work, she has been featured in exhibitions at J. Paul Getty Museum of Art, CA, Museum of Modern Art, NY; The Studio Museum of Harlem, NY; The Whitney Museum of American Art at Phillip Morris, NY; and National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC. Carrie Mae Weems’ work challenges the conventions of photography and how those conventions shape attitudes toward race, gender, and identity with both reverence and daring. The photograph in the By and About Women portfolio was taken in the garden of the Lotus House Women’s Shelter in collaboration with the creative writing group.

Untitled
Miami, Florida
2008
Lotus House Women’s Shelter