Devan Shimoyama (born 1989 in Philadelphia)[1] is a contemporary African-American visual artist best known as a painter that uses mixed mediums in their work. Shimoyama's work is inspired by Black, queer, and male bodies from a personal perspective.[2] The exploration of mythology and folklore also plays a key role in Shimoyama's work. Shimoyama uses his work to examine the intersections of race, class, gender, and sexuality within everyday life.[2]

Devan Shimoyama
Born1989
Philadelphia, PA
NationalityAmerican
EducationPennsylvania State University & Yale University School of Art
OccupationFull-Time Faculty at Carnegie Mellon University
Known forPainting, Queer Art, Mixed Media Art, Installation Art
AwardsAl Held Fellowship at the Yale University School of Art in 2013 & Artist Residency at the 2015 Fire Island Artist Residency

Early life and education

Devan Shimoyama was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1989.[3]

Shimoyama was exposed to creativity at an early age as his mother studied fashion design and grandfather worked a musician. Though starting off in music as a kid, Shimoyama would later begin to take art courses as his mother noticed his talent with drawing.[4]

He attended Pennsylvania State University as a science major for his undergraduate degree but would later change his program of study to Drawing and Painting during his junior year.[5] Shimoyama would later graduate with his BFA in 2011.[6] Shimoyama was under the advisement of Brian Alfred during undergrad. He then went on to receive his MFA in Painting/Printmaking from Yale University School of Art in 2014.[1]

Artwork, style, and influence

Devan Shimoyama's work focuses on race and sexuality. He often incorporates glitter and rhinestones into his paintings,[7] which consist of large-scale portraits of himself, friends and acquaintances, and figures from his imagination.[8] These characters are drawn from a wide range of sources, from men at barbershops to drag queens.[9] The materials point to drag culture and challenge traditional notions of masculinity and representations of wealth.[7]

Through his work, Shimoyama analyzes the intersections of queer culture and ways it relates to Black American culture. These aspect can often be highlighted through the usage of fur, feathers, glitter and costume jewels including rhinestones and sequins.[10]

Solo/two person exhibitions

[10]

Group exhibitions

[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "Devan Shimoyama - Artist | Self-portraiture". De Buck Gallery. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  2. 1 2 Biswas, Allie. "Devan Shimoyama – interview: 'I use my body to explore magic, mythology, history, intimacy, joy, pain'". www.studiointernational.com. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  3. ↑ "The Artist Up Close: Devan Shimoyama". The Andy Warhol Museum. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  4. ↑ Harper, Daria (2020-07-23). "Devan Shimoyama's Dazzling Paintings Reimagine Black Masculinity". Artsy. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  5. ↑ bernstein, roslyn (2018-11-03). "A Walking Tour with Devan Shimoyama". Medium. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
  6. ↑ Hernandez, Jasmin (2021). We are here : visionaries of color transforming the art world. Sunny Leerasanthanah, Swizz Beatz. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-64700-168-1. OCLC 1235595910.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. 1 2 Johnson, Noah. "Artist Devan Shimoyama Takes on Race and Sexuality With Glitter and Rhinestones". GQ. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  8. ↑ Sargent, Antwaun (2019-05-04). "Devan Shimoyama's Vision of a Dazzling Black Future". The New York Review of Books. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  9. ↑ University, Carnegie Mellon (9 October 2018). "Artist Embraces Alternative Perspectives on Race - News - Carnegie Mellon University". www.cmu.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-05-22. Retrieved 2020-06-17.
  10. 1 2 3 "Devan Shimoyama – Kavi Gupta Gallery". kavigupta.com. Retrieved 2021-03-31.
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