Daris Jasper b. 1982

Daris Jasper is a Chicago-based photographer. Moments of ritual, legacy, and spirituality are all explored within his work. His practice is defined by his process-based investigations and the lasting relationships he builds with his photographs' subjects.

Daris's lived experiences and memories are woven together; his work highlights moments of celebration, often interplaying with an ephemeral sense of foreboding through his use of subject and light. Daris's camera acts as a witness to the customs and traditions of cultural lifestyles of marginalized and underrepresented individuals and groups in society. For Daris, the camera provides a purpose and means to serve as an activist for social justice, documenting and highlighting pressing issues to bring awareness to subjects that interest and affect him personally.

Daris began his work to document and showcase artists, activists, and organizations that actively build and cultivate socially-minded arts and culture. Daris's work comes from a desire to create a historical record of cultural moments that are often lost to history so that future generations can gather inspiration and continue in the legacies of our past and present heroes.