Donavon Smallwood (b.1994, New York) currently lives and works in New York. He grew up in a household that emphasised literature and deep engagement with the tradition of art. For Smallwood, photography is a communion with the divine; and he uses the medium as a means of exploring humankind, imagination, essence, and nature. His carefully considered, rigorously composed images have a stillness running through them, offering a reprise from the oppressive commotion of urban life.
A self-trained photographer, Smallwood is the recipient of numerous photography awards including the Aperture Portfolio Prize (2021) and the Daylight Photo Award (2021). Smallwood recently held his first solo show Langour at the Aperture Foundation, New York (2021) accompanied by a monograph of the same name. Smallwood has an upcoming group show at Pavilion Gallery, London (2021) and has exhibited in group shows at the Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, Massachusetts (2021) and 10 14 Gallery, London (2021).
