Hi I’m River Joy. I’m an artist, writer and educator working across photography, text and interdisciplinary practice. My work is driven by curiosity. I’m interested in the stories people choose to tell about themselves, the systems that shape our lives, and the ways identity, memory and place intersect. I graduated from Montclair State University with a BFA in Photography and have spent much of my adult life immersed in creative communities as an artist, writer, collaborator and educator. Making things has always been a constant in my life, even when the form that creativity has taken has changed.

In recent years, I stepped back from developing large bodies of artistic work while navigating some significant life changes, including gender-affirming top surgery, getting married and relocating internationally. Today, I am building a renewed studio practice from my home in Thailand. My current work explores themes of identity, belonging, migration, relationships and contemporary life, while remaining open to experimentation and new directions. I am particularly interested in creating work that sits between disciplines and invites conversation, reflection and connection.