Shani Richards was born and raised in Akron, Ohio. She graduated with BFA in metalsmithing at the University of Akron in 2006 and MFA in Metal at the State University of New York, New Paltz in 2016. She was awarded a Community Fellowship from The League of Creative Interventionists in 2018. With the year-long fellowship Shani developed a community youth project called Akron’s Growing Chefs. In 2020 Shani was awarded art residency with The Akron Soul Train. Shani was one of six artists selected to be a part of The Sculpture Center 2022 Emerging Artists Solo Exhibition Series. In 2023 Shani was a Visiting Craft Fellow at SUNY New Paltz, New York. The fellowship is sponsored by the Metals Program and The Windgate Foundation. Shani was also a fellow at Ann Street Gallery in Newburgh, NY. In 2024 Shani was awarded a New York Council of the Arts Grant.