Using hand-cut vintage ephemera, florals, figures and objects, Kentucky artist Shawn Marshall constructs intricate worlds and lush “still lives” beneath glossy surfaces.
Her resin collage works initially seduce the eye but reveal hidden details and narratives the longer you look.
Artist: Born in Richmond, VA, Marshall and her parents moved overseas when she was eight months old. The family lived in Cyprus, Germany, and Lebanon before returning to the States when she was eight, and then settled in the Louisville area in 1983.
After high school, Marshall studied architecture at the University of Kentucky and went on to earn a master of architecture with a minor in fine arts at Cornell University. In 2009, she received a master of art in teaching at Bellarmine University.
Studio: Marshall, a practicing artist for more than 30 years, has a home studio and a professional studio at ACME Artworks in Louisville, KY. She also works as a high school visual arts educator.
In the beginning: As far back as Marshall can remember, she was drawing or making things, but she started making art in earnest right after graduate school in the late 1990s.
At Cornell, she focused on sculpture and was able to study under the late sculptor Jack Squire.
Over the years Marshall’s work has evolved from sculpture to painting and now mixed media.
Art & materials: Multi-dimensional, surreal collage works using alternating layers of hand-cut imagery and archival resin on a round, square or custom-shaped format ($400 to $6,500).
“The works use classical beauty as a gateway into complex and unsettling narratives,” said Marshall.
Themes: The objectification of women and girls in our culture and media.
Must-have tools: X-Acto knife, deburring tool and a heat gun.
Inspirations: Artists, including: Meret Oppenheim, Cecily Brown, Romare Bearden, Barbara Kruger and Hieronymus Bosch.
Recent awards/honors:
- Exhibited at the LA Art Show. 2026.
- Accepted into Artfields, Lake City, SC. 2026.
- Received Artist Enrichment Grants from the Great Meadows Foundation. 2022 and 2024.
Recent exhibit: “Girl Crush,” a group exhibit at KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY. 2026. The show featured the work of 85 local female artists.
Current exhibits:
- “ENID: 2026,” a group show by a collective (ENID) of female artists in Louisville, at KMAC Museum, Louisville, KY. Through Nov. 1.
The collective is named for Enid Yandell, the first known woman sculptor from Louisville to achieve international success.
- “Where the Light Gets In,” a group exhibit at the Jen Tough Gallery, Santa Fe, NM. Through Oct. 31.
Where to buy:
- Artist website: shawnmarshallart.com.
- WheelHouse Art, Louisville and Lexington, KY.
- Hammond Harkins Galleries, Columbus, OH.
Connect:
- Instagram: @shawn_marshall_art
- Facebook: Shawn Marshall Art
