Shannon Te Ao’s recent film and photographic works conflate markers of place, movement, and experience. Often elegiac in tone, imagery within his work reflects upon personal narratives, historical events, and collaboration as means to explore Māori thought and experience. Te Ao has exhibited widely nationally and internationally and teaches at Whiti o Rehua School of Art, CoCA Toi Rauwharangi, Wellington-Whanganui-a-Tara, New Zealand. He holds a BFA from University of Auckland's Elam School of Fine Arts and an MFA from Massey University. He has recently completed commissions for the 10th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT10), QAGOMA, Brisbane, and 13th Gwangju Biennale: Minds Rising Spirits Turning in 2021. Te Ao recently presented solo exhibitions at REMAI Modern (Saskatoon, Canada), Oakville Galleries (Toronto), and Te Uru (Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland). In 2022, Te Ao curated the exhibition Matarau at City Gallery Wellington.