Anokhi Shah
Contributor
Anokhi Shah is a queer, South Asian public defender from Apex, North Carolina. She currently works as a Mitigation Specialist at the Public Defender Service for Washington, D.C., where she helps people convicted of crimes as children or young people petition for release from prison. Her passions, in both work and art, lie in challenging systems of oppression, dismantling the prison–industrial complex, and advocating for social change by showcasing the beauty, strength, and resilience of survivors of trauma and persecution. In 2024 Anokhi cofounded Beauty Behind Bars, an ongoing initiative dedicated to amplifying the voices of formerly and currently incarcerated artists, for which she has curated exhibits at Rhizome D.C., Studio Gallery, the Kennedy Center, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, and St. Columba’s Episcopal Church. As an artist, Anokhi creates paintings, collages, clothing, murals, and drawings from found objects and recycled materials. Her primary mediums are acrylic paint, pen and ink, fabric, embroidery, and photography. Her work has appeared in exhibits across the D.C. area, including at the Museum of the Palestinian People, Artomatic, Rhizome DC, Studio Gallery, American University, and Transmission. DC.
