Kenya Shakoor

Kenya Shakoor is a photographer and multi-disciplinary artist born and raised in Tacoma. Her work is a love offering; it is a contribution to the female gaze, rooted in a politic of care. City of Tacoma Council Member Jamika Scott describes Kenya’s work as photography and cinematography that “captures Black experience and existence in deep, yet soft and ethereal ways. Her work is savory and compelling and hard to ignore.”

In 2025, Kenya wrote, directed, and acted in a one-act play called Adjust Your Crown, an ode to a Maya Angelou quote. The play chronicles an unexpected moment of connection that turns into a layered conversation about everything from the cost of living to generational trauma and joy, reparations, and the current presidency.

From 2023 to 2025, Kenya served on the Tacoma Arts Commission, and in 2024, she served as Chair. About her leadership, former Arts Commissioner, composer, and sound liberator, Joe Williams says she's, “an unstoppable force for good within our community.”

In 2026, she is spinning all vinyl DJ sets and embodying Jazz as her life philosophy. That looks like embracing improvisation over rigidity, honoring duality, and continuing to center Blackness as divine intelligence. Visit her website, kenyashakoor.com, to sign up for her email list and stay up to date on upcoming events.