Marti Corn is an activist, photographer, and oral historian. Drawn toward people living in states of continuous poverty, Marti finds inspiration in the indomitable spirit of hope her subjects exhibit in the face of despair. She immerses herself in communities, sometimes for many years, offering members a safe place to share their stories. After getting to know them, she collaborates with individuals in making portraits, allowing them to reveal what parts of themselves they wish.
Corn embraces long-term personal projects, following wherever her heart leads, be it in her own neighborhood or to the other side of the world. She spent five years documenting one of the few remaining emancipation communities in the United States. She celebrated the lives of former refugees from 13 war-torn countries who now call Houston, TX, home. She is currently raising awareness of the Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan who, in 2001, were forgotten in the resettlement process and have been trapped in a refugee camp for more than 30 years.
These projects have led to exhibitions throughout the United States and Europe, and to the publication in 2016 of a hardback volume titled The Ground on Which I Stand (by Texas A&M Press; a second edition was released in 2019). Marti shares her passion for visual storytelling by teaching journal-writing and photography workshops locally and to youth living in Kenya's Kakuma Refugee Camp.
