Shawn Saumell was born in New York and currently lives and works in Dallas.  He received an MFA from Lesley University College of Arts and Design fka The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, BFA from Texas Woman’s University, magna cum laude, and an AA from Collin College, cum laude. 

Saumell's work has been featured in over 230 exhibitions worldwide and has won many international awards including, but not limited to:"First Place," "Director's Choice," "Photographer of the Year," "Best of Biennial," "100 Best International," "Top 50 MFA Painters in America,"  "Top 25 International Fine Artists," and "Best of Show."

He has had a recent solo exhibition at the Mesquite Arts Center, Mesquite, TX [2024]; and recent juried exhibitions at the Bill J. Priest Center, Dallas, TX [2023] and Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX [2023]; as well as recent group exhibitions at Arts Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX [2024] and Adolphus Tower, Dallas, TX [2024].

Shawn’s work has been selected by:
4heads Art Board,Governors Island Art Fair
ArtSlant Curatorial Team,ARTslant
Blue Mitchell, Diffusion Magazine
Chrissie Iles, Whitney Museum of American Art
Christiane Paul, Whitney Museum of American Art
Christy Karpinski,F-STOP Magazine
Cindy D. Rachofsky, The Rachofsky House
Cory Hilz,Lensbaby
Cris Worley,Cris Worley Gallery
Darren Ching,Klompching Gallery
Editors, Artist Portfolio Magazine
Elizabeth Spungen, The Print Center, Philadelphia
Enrique Fernández-Cervantes, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs
Holly Johnson, Holly Johnson Gallery
Hugo Martínez Rapari,Mulafoco Museum
Jason Landry, Panopticon Gallery
Jeremy Strick,Nasher Sculpture Center
John Pomara,Artist
Joyce Goss,The Goss Michael Foundation
Julia Dolan, Curator of Photography at the Portland Art Museum
Keith Carter,Artist
Laura Moya, Photolucida
Lollie Thompkins, Booker T. Washington
Marty Walker, Marty Walker Gallery
Matthew Gamber, Big Red & Shiny Magazine
Rex Bruce, LACDA Los Angeles Center for Digital Art
Rita Aida Gonzalez, LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, Artists
Sarah Cash, Bechhoefer Curator of American Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C
Sergio Gomez, Zhou B Art Center
Stephen Perloff, The Photo Review
Susan Swihart, L.A. Photo Curator
Tere Romo, Mexican Museum of San Francisco and MACLA
Terri Provencal, Patron Magazine
The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards
Tim Slowinski, Direct Art Magazine

His work is in the permanent collection of the Boston Public Library, Boston, MA;  The State of New Mexico, NM;  the Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY;  Shah Alam Gallery, Malaysia;  Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO;  Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn, NY;  Carrington Coleman, Dallas, TX; and Independent Financial, McKinney, TX.