Profile

Creator, innovator, and Portland native, Kayin Talton Davis’s work centers around her passion for fusing art grounded in Black heritage and culture with graphic design, mechanical engineering, community building and education. Known for her vibrant color palettes and a unique aesthetic, Talton Davis founded Soapbox Theory™ in 2001, with the mission of “Cultivating Black Joy™.” Kayin is a current City of Portland Archives Artist in Residence, and co-artist of the Historic Black Williams Art Project, the Black Heritage Markers on NE Alberta, the Mayo house ARTchive, and co-founder of the (re)Building Cornerstones studio at the University of Oregon. Her most recent permanent public installation, “We’ve Been Here”—highlighting Oregon Black women in the early 1900s, is located in the Portland Building.