Eli Durst

Eli Durst is an Associate Professor of Practice and Department Assistant Chair for Studio Art at the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Art & Art History. He holds an MFA from the Yale School of Art (2016) and a BA in American Literature and History from Wesleyan University. His work merges conceptual and documentary photography to explore postcolonial narratives and ambiguous urban landscapes.

• Recipient of the 2017 Aaron Siskind Fellowship and 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship
• Winner of UT’s 'Professor of the Semester' and Outstanding Teacher Awards
• Awarded the Hopper Prize (2022)

His research focuses on postcolonial legacies (e.g., Eritrea’s Asmara) and urban sociocultural dynamics. Key publications include The Four Pillars (2022) and The Community (2020). Durst’s work often interrogates spatial politics and cultural memory through open-ended photographic narratives.

Teaching and mentorship are central to his practice, reflected in multiple pedagogical accolades and his role in shaping UT’s Studio Art curriculum.