This Virginia Artist Turns Family History And Grief Into Striking Visual Storytelling (20 Pics)

Memory is fragile, bending and reshaping over time—and in her powerful solo exhibition Blueprint, photographer Benita Mayo explores the personal and collective histories that shape who we are.

The project began in 2020, after the sudden passing of Mayo’s father, an event that shifted the ground beneath her life and sparked a profound reckoning with her past. Drawing on her family’s roots in Virginia—a state marked by slavery, the Civil War, and the fight for civil rights—Mayo confronts the inherited trauma and resilience that echo through generations.

More info: all-about-photo.com | Facebook | Instagram

#1 A Walk In The Woods By Benita Mayo

#2 Sunrise Behind The Clouds By Benita Mayo

#3 Tallest Trees In The Forest By Benita Mayo

#4 Sirens Keeping Watch By Benita Mayo

#5 The James River Reflection By Benita Mayo

#6 Air Assault Division By Benita Mayo

#7 The James River By Benita Mayo

#8 Mind Games By Benita Mayo

#9 Flag At The Stern By Benita Mayo

#10 What Remains By Benita Mayo

#11 Running Cedar By Benita Mayo

#12 The Dream By Benita Mayo

#13 Cloak Of Darkness By Benita Mayo

#14 Left Behind By Benita Mayo

#15 Holding On By Benita Mayo

#16 Rebirth By Benita Mayo

#17 Fallen By Benita Mayo

#18 Colored Soldier By Benita Mayo

#19 Toil & Strife By Benita Mayo

#20 Vault Of Blue By Benita Mayo