Collection: Shania Warris

Artist Bio

Shania Warris is a Trinidadian visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores memory, nostalgia, familiarity, and the ways personal and cultural experiences shape our sense of belonging. Working across mediums, Warris draws from everyday objects, traditions, relationships, and cultural symbols to examine how memories are preserved, reconstructed, and carried across time.

Her practice extends into collaborative and public-facing projects rooted in Trinidad’s visual and cultural heritage. She currently serves as Creative Director for The Old Yard, a traditional Carnival production presented by the Department of Creative and Festival Arts at The University of the West Indies, where she leads the visual development of the production, including artworks, props, installations, and overall creative direction. She has also worked as an Assistant Mural Artist with the National Library and Information System Authority (NALIS), contributing to the creation of a large-scale public mural. Across these contexts, Warris continues to explore how visual language, material, and cultural memory can create spaces of connection and familiarity.

Artist Statement

Focusing on concepts of memory and nostalgia, my work seeks to provide comfort while also investigating how these ideas shape a person's identity. Driven by an insatiable curiosity and tenacity to explore new things, I approach art as a concept driven practice, allowing ideas to determine the medium rather than working within the confines of a single discipline. As a result, my work spans a range of media, including painting, textiles, and photography, reflecting an ongoing process of experimentation and growth.

My work investigates how personal and collective memories influence the way we connect to home, culture, and the people around us. Drawing from my experiences growing up in Trinidad, I use familiar symbols, stories, and moments of care to explore how comfort can be found in both the ordinary and the remembered. My work seeks to visualize the emotional landscapes I carry within me, revealing how nostalgia and familiarity help shape identity and provide a sense of belonging.