Kandis Williams is an American artist, writer, publisher and educator whose practice examines the intersections of race, power, history and representation. Working across collage, film, performance, publishing and research, she creates frameworks that bring together critical theory, lived experience and visual culture, exploring how social, political and historical narratives are constructed, transmitted and challenged.

Central to Williams’ practice is Cassandra Press, the artist-run publishing and educational platform she founded in 2016. Originally conceived as a space for disseminating texts on race, feminism, aesthetics and Black scholarship, Cassandra Press has since evolved into an influential multidisciplinary platform encompassing publishing, exhibitions, classrooms, workshops and collaborative research. Through its activities, Cassandra Press has become an important site for critical dialogue, collective learning and the circulation of ideas across contemporary culture.

In 2022, Williams collaborated with CIRCA and Pompeii Commitment. Archaeological Matters on A Monument A Ruin, a landmark public commission that connected ancient inscriptions discovered in Pompeii with contemporary protest graffiti and questions of political agency in public space. Appearing across public screens in London, Melbourne, Seoul and Tokyo, the project transformed years of archaeological research into a global conversation about monuments, memory and the voices that endure through history. The commission reflected a shared commitment between Williams and CIRCA to using public space as a platform for critical reflection, collective inquiry and new forms of cultural exchange.

Williams has exhibited internationally and participated in major institutional exhibitions including The Whitney Biennial, the Hammer Museum, Institute of Contemporary Art Philadelphia, and Kunsthalle Basel, among others. Through her work as both artist and educator, she continues to challenge conventional structures of knowledge while creating new spaces for dialogue, learning and social transformation.