KRIS DAVIDSON | CV

b., 1974 Gothenburg, Sweden

+ 1.415.290.6638

kris@krisdavidson.com

www.krisdavidson.com

A native of Sweden, Kris Davidson spent the first half of her childhood in the Scandinavian Arctic and the second half in Texas. After 15 years as an award-winning travel photographer, Kris has trained her attention to the question of what it means to become and be an American, with an eye to the role of reconstructive memory as it gives shape to individual identity in a larger American cultural landscape. As an artist, she also uses mixed media elements on photographic prints in an ongoing exploration of the fluid intersection of perceived truth, memory and imagination.

EDUCATION

2002 MFA, Photography

Brooks Institute of Photography |Santa Barbara, CA

Thesis: A Study of the New Aesthetic in Photojournalism and

Documentary Still Photography in the United States

1997 BA, Communications Arts and Spanish (Magna Cum Laude)

Loyola University of New Orleans, LA

SEMINARS + ONGOING STUDY

2021 The Body As Instrument and Image

Two-month course with Cassils

The Alternative Art School | Philadelphia, PA

2021 Mentorship with Alessandra Sanguinetti and Gregory Halpern

Magnum Photos | New York, NY

2020 Seeing with Machines

Two-week course with Trevor Paglen

The Alternative Art School | Philadelphia, PA

2020 All the World's A Stage: Intro to Social Art

Two-month course with Nato Thompson

The Alternative Art School | Philadelphia, PA

2020 Alternative Art History

Two-month course with Gridthiya Gaweewong

The Alternative Art School | Philadelphia, PA

SELECT CLIENTS | Editorial

National Geographic Society

Lonely Planet

AFAR

Travesias Magazine

Travel + Leisure

Sierra Magazine

Discovery Channel

BBC Worldwide

SELECT CLIENTS | Commercial

Kimpton Hotels + Restaurants

BODE

SurveyMonkey

MTV Networks

FINE Design

Trumpet Group

University of California

Semester At Sea / Institute for Shipboard Education

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Mayway Corporation

Ford Motor Company

EXHIBITIONS

2019 LightSource SF | San Francisco, CA

Solo show | Exhibited "The Roswell UFO Incident" from The American

Imagination (renamed: Beneath A Paper Moon)

2019 Atelier Gallery | San Francisco, CA

Group show | Exhibited Miguel from American Portraits

2019 El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe | Santa Fe, NM

Group Show | Exhibited American Macondo

2009 RIKI | Berkeley, CA

Solo show | Exhibited a selection from Sacred Spaces and

Two Americas

2007 Samespace Gallery | Berkeley, CA

Group Show, Spaces In Conflict | Exhibited a selection from

Sacred Spaces

2005 Effections | San Francisco, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from Sacred Spaces

2004 Effections | San Francisco, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from Sacred Spaces

2003 San Francisco Open Studios | San Francisco, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a preview selection from Sacred Spaces

2002 The Lift Gallery | San Francisco, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from The Equilibrium Portraits

2001 Well Hung Gallery | San Francisco, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from The Equilibrium Portraits

2000 Hollis Street Project: Click! | Berkeley, CA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from The Equilibrium Portraits

1998 Alternative Space Gallery | New Orleans, LA

Group Show | Exhibited a selection from The Holga Series

1995 Loyola University, Mission Hall | New Orleans, LA

Solo Show | Exhibited a selection from Nicaragua

HONORS + AWARDS + RECOGNITION

2020 Lange-Taylor Prize finalist for The American Imagination (renamed:

Beneath A Paper Moon)

2016 CENTER Santa Fe Review | Selected as participant

2013 CENTER Santa Fe Review | Selected as participant

2011 PDN Magazine | Recognized in “Best Photography of the Year”

feature

2010 PDN Magazine | Recognized for travel photography in “World

In Focus” feature

2009 International Photography Awards | Four honorable mentions

2007 Kala Art Institute Board Prize finalist

2005 International Photography Awards | Six honorable mentions

2004 Lange-Taylor Prize finalist for collaborative documentary about

paramedics in the Bay Area

1998 American Photo Magazine | Photo annual issue, recognition for

digital illustration

1997 Loyola University | Outstanding Photojournalism Student of the Year

SELECT INTERVIEWS + PRESS

2020 Kristina Lukacova, “Nomad Times: Interview with Kris Davidson,”

Online interview posted on http://times.coworkbooking.com/ (July 3)

2014 Warwick, Helen, “National Geographic Traveller: Interview with Kris

Davidson,”World Photography Organisation. Online interview posted

on www.worldphoto.org (November 26)

2014 Castro-Rodriguez, Laura. “The Southern Gardens,” Langly Field Notes.

Online interview posted on www.langly.co (October 11)

2014 Suzanne Sease, “Art Producers Speak: Kris Davidson,” Interview on A

Photo Editor. Online interview posted on www.aphotoeditor.com (June

2014)

2013 Knorovsky, Katie, “Contributors: Kris Davidson,” National

Geographic Traveler (October 2013)

2011 Moutenot J, Ewing J, Moakley P et al. “PDN Photo Annual 2011,” PDN

Magazine (June 2011)

2010 Meyers, Hastings S, Henderson H et al. “World in Focus,” PDN

Magazine (February 2010)

2007 Reyhan Harmanci, “Spatial relations — ‘Spaces in Conflict’ — Oakland

gallery’s inaugural show tackles issues of modern living,” San

Francisco Chronicle (January 18, 2007)

1998 David Schonauer, “Let the Contest Begin” American Photo

(November / December 1998)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

2007—2019: Academy of Art University (San Francisco, CA)

Course Author + Instructor

Developed and authored several online courses including

documentary photography (MFA-level), Photo Essay (BFA-

level) and People Photography (BFA-level).

2010—2016: National Geographic Society (Washington, DC)

Workshop Instructor

Photography instructor for various National Geographic

Expeditions workshops throughout the United States (San

Francisco, New Orleans, Tucson, Seattle).

2007 + 2010: Semester At Sea (Charlottesville, VA)

Photographer + Mentor

Photography mentor / instructor to college aboard the MV

Explorer; worked with students to produce multimedia

presentations and a yearbook for the voyages.

2004: First Exposures (San Francisco, CA)

Photography Mentor

Mentor/photography instructor for a non-profit program

benefiting inner-city children.

LECTURES + PRESENTATIONS

2019 College of Charleston

Presented work from various National Geographic Traveler

assignments.

2018 Kalamazoo College

Career Summit speaker and panelist.

2017 National Geographic Museum

Presented work from New Orleans and Louisiana wetlands as a part

of a National Geographic Live event.

2017 Dialysis Access Synergy in Singapore

Photography lecture: “How Do You Want To Live Your Life?”

2008 Earlham College

Presented Two Americas and American Mestizaje with Professor

Brian Owensby from The University of Virginia

1996 Contemporary Arts Center of New Orleans, LA

Presented a paper about the documentary genre as an art form.

COLLECTIONS

Di Rosa Art and Nature Preserve Collection | Napa, CA

Various private collections | San Francisco, CA

Private collection | Dallas, TX

Private collection | Boulder, CO

Private collection | New Orlean, LA

COMMUNITY SERVICE

Served as a committee member of the 2019 American Red Cross fundraiser gala event in San Francisco. Created a photography experience package that raised $16,000 for disaster relief in the Bay Area.

LANGUAGES

Swedish and Spanish