Shawn Walker was born and raised in Harlem where he continues to live. His work has been exhibited internationally at institutions including the Smithsonian Institute, Schomburg Center, Brooklyn Museum, MoMA PS 1, Whitney Museum, International Center of Photography, Museum of Modern Art, New York, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, Harvard University School of Art and Design and Vassar College.

Walker’s work is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture, New York Public Library, Museum of Natural History and Studio Museum in Harlem. His work has been published in The Self in Black and White: Race and Subjectivity in Postwar American Photography (Dartmouth, 2010), Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers (Brooklyn Museum of Art, 2001), Nueva Luz: A Photographic Journal Volumes 5-8 (En Foco, 1997), Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers (W.W. Norton, 2000) and An Illustrated Bio-Bibliography of Black Photographers, 1940-1988 (Garland, 1989). He is a Soros’ Fellowship recipient in conjunction with Kamoinge and has been awarded grants from the New York Foundation for the Arts, Light Work, CAPS, and Columbia University Film Board. In addition to his lifelong involvement with Kamoinge, Walker has taught photography for almost forty years, dedicating his life to inspiring the next generation of artists.

Exhibitions:
2014
“Kamoinge + En Foco: Advancing the Frame” Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC
“Reflections of Monk: Inspired Images of Music and Moods II”, The Dwyer Cultural Center, NY
2013
“Jazz. Covers. Politics”, Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC
“Art and Protest”, The Malcolm X & Dr Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center, NYC
“Salute to Sekou Sundiata”, The Apollo Theater, NYC
“Harlem Art Walk” Open Studio, NYC
“New York Photo Show” The Lighthouse, NYC
2012
“Heart and Soul: African American by African American Photographers” Keith de Lellis Gallery, NYC
”Kamoinge:Revealing the Face of Katrina”, Group Show, Gordon Parks Gallery, College of New Rochelle, Bronx, NY
“Reflections of Monk: Inspired Images of Music and Moods”, Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba, NYC
“Harlem & the City” The City College of New York, NYC
“Old Harlem New Harlem: Images of Transformation Photographic Exhibition” Rio II Gallery, NYC
“Harlem Art Walk” Open Studio, NYC
2011
“Harlem Views/Diaspora Visions: The New Harlem Renaissance Photographers”, Group Show, Schomburg Center, NYC
Travelled Rhodes International Sculpture Arts Garden. Brooklyn, NY
2010
“Neo African Identities”, Group Show, Baobab Center, Rochester, NY
“Kamoinge: In The Moment”, Group Show, HP Gallery at Calulmet Photo, NYC
2008 
Group Show. Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba, NYC
2007 
“Kamoinge: Revealing the Face of Katrina” Group Show, HP Gallery at Calumet Photo, NYC
“The Rhythm of Life” Group Show, Nordstrom, various locations nationally
Group show for Katrina grant recipients on Open Society Website. !3
2006
“Lifestyles: Celebrating Black History Month”, Group show at Nordstrom various locations nationally
Kamoinge-Ferman Scholarship exhibition and auction, Group show, Columbia College, Chicago
“The Eye of the Storm, Images of New Orleans”, Group show, Columbia University, NYC
“Amadou Diallo: A Memorial”, Group show, Casa Frela, NYC
2005
Group show, The 2nd International Photographic Exhibition, NYC
Group show, PCOG Gallery, NYC
“Water Inner Landscape”, three-person show, Casa Frela, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
“Message in the Masquerade: Carnival from Brooklyn to Bahia”, Group show, Nathan Cummings Foundation, NYC
2004
“Movement Movers”, IRIDAC, City College NYC
Group show, PCOG Gallery, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
2003
Group show, PCOG Gallery, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
2002
“Carnival in Brooklyn: West Indian Labor Day Parade”, Group show,
Brooklyn Public Library, Brooklyn, NY
2001
“African and African-American Artists”, Group show, PCOG Gallery, NY
“Committed to the Image”, Group show, The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
“A Photographic Show”, three-person show, Marymount College, NYC
Web-based group exhibit and sale, artnet.com
2000 
“Reflections in Black: A History of Black Photographers 1840-Present”, Group show, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, DC
1999 
“Ritual and Spirit”, Vassar College, Poughkeepsie, NY
Group show, Bronx River Center, Bronx, NY
“Jazz Plus”, Kamoinge group show, UFA Gallery, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department
Group show, Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, NYC
“Black Photographers of the 20th Century”, Group show, The Schomburg
Center for Research in Black Culture, NYC
25th Annual Group Show, En Foco, El Museo del Bario, NYC
1998 
“At One With God”, Group show, 92nd Street Y, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
1997. Hatch-Billops Collection, Group show, NYC
“Ritual and Spirit”, two-person show, Cinque Gallery, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
1996
“Shadow Series”, College of New Rochelle, Bronx, NY
25th Anniversary Group Show, Empire State College, NYC
“Say It Loud: Kamoinge Group Show”, Art in the Atrium, Montclair, NJ
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
“The Dedicators”, Group show, Brooklyn, NY
1995 
Faculty show, City College Art Department, NYC
1994
Kamoinge Anniversary Show, Countee Cullen Library, NYC
Cinque Gallery Anniversary Show and Sale, Group show, NYC
National Conference of Artists’ Annual Show, NYC
Faculty Show, International Center of Photography, NYC
Faculty Show, City College Art Department, NYC
Faculty Show, Queensborough College, Queens, NY
1993
“Shadow, Dreams and Manifestations”, Three-person show, Cinque Gallery, NYC
“There is a World Through Our Eyes” Rockland State Museum, NY
1990
“Workers Exhibit”, Group show, NYS Legislature, Albany, NY
Faculty Show, Queensborough College, Queens, NY

Collections: 
Brooklyn Museum
Charles Perry Rand Foundation
Harlem Arts Collection
James Van Der Zee Institute
Museum of Modern Art, NYC
National Afro-American Museum, Wilberforce, OH
New York Public Library, Main Branch
The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
The Studio Museum in Harlem
William Patterson Foundation