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 creative vision is driven by a strong sense of Caribbean identity and a desire to explore the contrasting vibrance and melancholy of the Trinbagonian spirit. 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. Her first solo exhibit, entitled ‘Of Smoke and Sunshine’, was presented at the Big Black Box in August 2015. Most recently, an ongoing body of work entitled ‘IMPRINT’, was exhibited at The Loftt Gallery in August 2019 and she is currently pursuing a Masters of Research in Creative Practice, at the University of Westminster, U.K.
Education
2019 - present
Mres Creative Practice
University of Westminster, U.K.
2008 - 2012
BA Hons Fashion Design & Marketing
London College of Fashion, UAL
Awards & Residencies
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
2020
2020
2019
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