Joshua Wilder Oakley is a Los Angeles-based multimedia artist and educator whose work focuses on the relationship between the human experience, social justice and the environment. He draws from his own experiences with oppressive structures, re-closeting himself in the Army during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era and subsequently living in an able-bodied world as a disabled man. Oakley holds the philosophy that artists have a moral obligation to use their voices to shed light on pressing issues that impact humanity and their environment.
Oakley graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in design from the University of San Francisco. He was awarded the Gloria Osuna Pérez Award for work that embodies the Jesuit tradition of social justice in art and the University of San Francisco’s Department of Art and Architectures Award for Student Leadership and Academic Excellence and was a runner-up for the Barbara Stewart Memorial Award in Photography. Oakley’s photography, design and fine artwork has been well received in juried shows throughout California. His commercial photography is used by major hotel and real estate trusts and his work is in private collections across the country.