About
The first rule is: there are no rules.
Shanta Williams was born in Los Angeles, California. From 2006 to 2007, Shanta interned and worked for the department of Educational Technology at a local college.
During 2008, Shanta studied fine art and mixed media at the Paris American Academy in Paris, France. She has shown artwork at galleries in Paris, France, Camarillo, and Ventura, California.
In the winter of 2009-2010, Shanta traveled to New Zealand to study and conduct research on restorative justice (conflict management through victim, offender, and community mediation) and art.
As a presenter at the 2nd Annual Conflict Transformation Conference at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia in the spring of 2010, Shanta discussed her research findings about the creative arts and restorative justice with members of JMU's campus community.
You can find Shanta's work in print and online. She has been published, as a contributing artist, in A World of Artist Journal Pages by Dawn DeVries Sokol (2015, Amazon link). Shanta was also a participant in the 2016 Brooklyn Library Sketchbook Project, with a professionally scanned copy of her sketchbook available for viewing on the official Sketchbook Project website. Shanta is also a contributing artist in the Spring 2022 (Issue 2) and Fall 2022 (Issue 4: "Collaboration") issues of Strawberry Moon Magazine (available for purchase in print and digital formats at strawberrymoon.art).
Artist Statement
The focus on color, form and shape in my work is a result of my view of the world as abstract and ever changing, and the significant influence of my spiritual upbringing on my life and perspective.
By combining the media of digital video, photography, drawing and painting, I am able to create an array of multimedia artworks ranging from art journal pages to experimental videos. My artwork is influenced by music, travel, and language; it is entrenched in my devotional foundation and reflects my organic experiences.