Nona Faustine's First Retrospective Opens At CPW Kingston

The pioneering photographer's powerful series 'White Shoes' is featured in the exhibition.

Published on Feb. 24, 2026

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The first retrospective of acclaimed photographer Nona Faustine (1977-2025) is now on view at CPW Kingston in Kingston, NY. The exhibition showcases Faustine's groundbreaking 'White Shoes' series, which features unflinching self-portraits at former sites associated with slavery in New York. Faustine's work boldly interrogated America's racist past and brought visibility to the overlooked history of slavery in the North.

Why it matters

Faustine's photography was a powerful exploration of Black history and presence in public spaces, challenging the erasure of dark chapters in America's past. Her work has been praised for its clarity of vision, vulnerability, and commitment to redressing historical amnesia.

The details

In the 'White Shoes' series, Faustine is pictured fully nude, wearing only a pair of well-worn white pumps, at nearly 50 locations across New York's five boroughs and Long Island. The stark visual contrast between her black body and the church shoes was a deliberate choice to memorialize the anonymous men, women, and children whose labor built New York City and the nation. Faustine's great-great grandmother was enslaved, and both sides of her family trace roots to North Carolina and Africa.

  • Faustine created the 'White Shoes' series between 2012 and 2021.
  • The retrospective at CPW Kingston is on view now through May 10, 2026.

The players

Nona Faustine

An acclaimed photographer whose first retrospective is on view at CPW Kingston. Faustine's 'White Shoes' series featured unflinching self-portraits at former sites associated with slavery in New York, boldly interrogating America's racist past.

Channon Anita

Faustine's sister, who served as the photographer for the 'White Shoes' series, pushing the button to capture Faustine's images.

Marina Chao

The curator of 'Nona Faustine: What My Mother Gave Me' at CPW Kingston, who previously worked with Faustine at Higher Pictures, the gallery that represented the artist.

Queen Ming

Faustine's daughter, who was featured in the artist's 'Mitochondria' series documenting three generations of African American women in Faustine's family.

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What they’re saying

“Even though Nona made numerous visionary, deeply seen and felt projects in her career, for me her legacy in photography is encapsulated in White Shoes—her clarity of vision, her confidence, her vulnerability, and her commitment to redressing the erasure of very dark histories in our country's past that continue to resonate in our present.”

— Marina Chao, Curator, 'Nona Faustine: What My Mother Gave Me' at CPW Kingston (Email)

“A real force of nature. Extremely funny. Thoughtful. Generous.”

— Marina Chao, Curator, 'Nona Faustine: What My Mother Gave Me' at CPW Kingston (Email)

What’s next

Channon Anita, Faustine's sister and the caretaker of her archive, is thinking about how to help realize her sister's final project, ideas for which Faustine formulated during her Rome Prize Fellowship in the year before her death.

The takeaway

Nona Faustine's powerful 'White Shoes' series stands as a landmark in the history of photography, using her own body to confront the legacy of slavery and the erasure of Black history in America. Her retrospective at CPW Kingston is a testament to her lasting impact and the importance of amplifying marginalized voices and narratives.