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All About Photo is pleased to present ‘Blueprint’ by Benita Mayo as the winning project of our October 2025 Solo Exhibition, curated by Aline Smithson.
This deeply personal work explores the fragility of memory, the weight of history, and the ways in which family narratives are shaped by collective trauma. The project began after the sudden passing of the artist’s father in 2020, a loss that forever altered her perspective and sparked a journey to understand the impermanence of memory and the stories inherited across generations.
Rooted in Virginia—the birthplace of both her parents and a state indelibly marked by slavery, the Civil War, and the struggle for civil rights—the work intertwines personal history with America’s most painful chapters. Through words and photographs, the artist reflects on the fear, silence, and sorrow of her upbringing, while also honoring the resilience, love, and determination that endured.
Guided by Toni Morrison’s call not to “forgive and forget” but to “remember and do better,” the project confronts silence with truth. It is both an act of commemoration and a step toward healing, revealing how landscapes and family narratives can hold quiet outrage, mourning, and sacred remembrance.
‘Blueprint’ is on view in the Solo Exhibition section of All About Photo throughout October 2025.
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Benita Mayo is a visual artist based in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she is a resident artist at the McGuffey Art Center and an active member of the Charlottesville Black Arts Collective. She holds a B.A. in Rhetoric and Communications from the University of Virginia (UVA).
Mayo’s work is guided by curiosity and empathy, qualities that shape both her process and subject matter. Her photographs explore the collective female experience through the lens of a Black woman navigating grief, memory, ancestry, genealogy, and trauma. By weaving personal history with broader social narratives, she examines how inherited legacies shape identity and belonging. Rooted in storytelling and social commentary, her practice stands as both testimony and tribute—illuminating overlooked histories while creating space for dialogue, reflection, and connection across communities and generations.
Mayo was a 2025 Critical Mass finalist. She was the winner in the 23rd Julia Margaret Cameron Award for "Women Seeing Women" category and received Honorable Mention in the portraiture category. Mayo’s work has been featured in publications including Zeke Magazine, Lenscratch, Cuba Seen Issue 9, Virginia Quarterly Review, Canvas Rebel, Portraits The 27 Fine Art Book, A Smith Gallery, SxSE Magazine, Library of Congress, C-Ville Weekly 434 Magazine, and Charlottesville Tomorrow. Her work has been exhibited at various galleries including the Griffin Museum of Photography, The Center for Photographic Art (CfPA), the Center for Fine Art Photography (C4FAP), A Smith Gallery, Filter Photo, Social Documentary Network and several galleries in the Mid-Atlantic region. Her work has been recognized internationally and is held in private collections.
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