about
Danielle "deo" Owensby (they/she), born and raised in Southeast Michigan, is a photographer and installation artist who uses image-making to work through the parts of memory that refuse to settle: childhood, loss, and the complicated stories that continue to echo into adulthood. Their practice moves between photography, textiles, and writing, treating personal history as raw material that can be revisited, reshaped, and better understood by bringing it into the light.
Their work has been shown nationally and internationally, including exhibitions at the Knockdown Center (New York), Melbourne Arts Center (Australia), University of the Arts (Philadelphia), the Grand Rapids Art Museum (Michigan), and the Scarab Club (Detroit). They have been a 2024 Womxnhouse Detroit Artist-in-Residence and a 2022–2023 ProjectArt Detroit Teaching Artist-in-Residence with Detroit Public Libraries. Their projects have been featured in publications such as Lenscratch, Borderline Press, and Werks, and are held in private collections around the world.
In addition to their studio practice, deo is an educator with nearly a decade of teaching experience in both Chicago and Southeast Michigan. They bring a student-centered, hands-on approach to the classroom, emphasizing creative experimentation, cultural awareness, and the belief that photography can help us better understand who we are and how we move through the world. They have taught at the College for Creative Studies, Washtenaw Community College, and Schoolcraft College, and now serve as full-time photography faculty at Oakland Community College.
