BIOGRAPHY
"My work attempts to draw a thread between past and present. I etch, stitch, mould.... in order to make the archive tangible, to myself and to others. In my own way, I’m trying to understand our collective experience as Caribbean peoples and pay homage to those who have walked before us. "
Photograph by Adeline Gregoire
Trinidadian Artist and Designer Shannon Alonzo has been working in the creative industries since 2011, within a variety of roles including visual art, costume design and production design.
An alumna of the University of the Arts London, her artistic practice explores themes of collective belonging, place attachment and the significance of carnival ritual to the Caribbean consciousness. Her project collaborations with design house Meiling Inc Ltd have included work with Peter Minshall and the Callaloo Company, Costume Design for 3Canal’s annual carnival productions, and Wardrobe Design for the feature documentary ‘Pan! A Modern Odyssey’.
In 2013, Alonzo turned her focus to visual arts, taking on roles in art department for film. These have included production design for the award winning feature film ‘Play the Devil’, which
opened the LA Film Festival in 2016. Other production design credits include the feature film ‘Moving Parts’ and short film ‘Salty Dog’, as well as television commercials for FLOW, Angostura and Bmobile, amongst others.
Underpinning and fueling all other endeavors, Alonzo maintains her fine art practice, which provides a highly personal medium for creative inquiry. In August 2019, Alonzo exhibited an ongoing body of work entitled ‘IMPRINT’ at The Loftt Gallery in Port of Spain. In 2020 she was shortlisted for the Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize and was awarded grants from the 125 Fund and CATAPULT Caribbean Artist Showcase. In the same year, she undertook an artist residency at Alice Yard Project Space, Port of Spain and has recently completed a Masters of Research in Creative Practice, at the University of Westminster, U.K.
Education
2019 - 2021
Mres Creative Practice
University of Westminster, U.K.
2008 - 2012
BA Hons Fashion Design & Marketing
London College of Fashion, UAL
Awards & Residencies
2022
Artist Residency, Documenta Fifteen, Kassel, Germany
2020
CATAPULT Caribbean Artist Showcase Grant
2020
Shortlist Ashurst Emerging Artist Prize
2020
Artist Residency, Alice Yard Project Space
2020
125 Fund Research Grant
Exhibitions
Group
2022
2022
2022
2020
2020
2019
Alice Yard Collective, Documenta Fifteen, Kassel, Germany
Atlantic World Art Fair, Artsy, Y Gallery Booth
Cloud Sediments, Ambika P3, London, U.K.
States of Confinement, POS, Trinidad
Ashurst Emerging Art Prize Shortlist Exhibition, London, U.K.
Physical Thinking, University of Westminster, London, U.K.
Solo
2019
2015
Imprint, Loftt Gallery, POS, Trinidad
Of smoke and sunshine, Black Box, POS, Trinidad