Currently based in Mebane and Raleigh, North Carolina, Phillip “King Phill” Loken was born in Texas and has lived in various cities and towns across North Carolina since age four. His photography is intimately tied to his lived experiences as a Black man in the American South. He wants to capture the rich history and vibrant cultural expressions that influence his subjects' lives.
Loken's work has been exhibited nationally. This year, he has exhibited work at The Southeastern Center for Photography, in Lake City, South Carolina’s ArtFields 2024 Competition, and the Durham Art Guild’s Truist Gallery. In 2023, his work was part of the It Ain't All Black And White group exhibition at Raleigh, NC's Block Gallery during Click! Photography Festival, and the group exhibition Black and White: 2023 at Black Box Gallery in Portland, Oregon. In 2022, Loken participated in the Give Black Raleigh Her Flowers' exhibition at Anchorlight Gallery in Raleigh, N.C.. In 2021, Loken participated in the exhibition BLACK GAZE: Representation, Identity, and Expression at The Light Factory Photo Arts Center.
