Devan Shimoyama
In shining memory
How do we remember those we have lost? This question is at the centre of Devan Shimoyama’s exploration of Blackness, queerness and mythology. He says, “instead of depicting a black body in pain or torment, I’d much rather celebrate those individuals as something more positive and whole”. He commemorates Black celebrities through his self-portrait paintings in drag, like Left Eye and Aaliyah (2022). His series of hoodies and swings adorned with flowers immortalise Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice, Black children lost to police brutality.
Shimoyama’s image-making presents memory as a patchwork of la...
How do we remember those we have lost? This question is at the centre of Devan Shimoyama’s exploration of Blackness, queerness and mythology. He says, “instead of depicting a black body in pain or torment, I’d much rather celebrate those individuals as something more positive and whole”. He commemorates Black celebrities through his self-portrait paintings in drag, like Left Eye and Aaliyah (2022). His series of hoodies and swings adorned with flowers immortalise Trayvon Martin and Tamir Rice, Black children lost to police brutality.
Shimoyama’s image-making presents memory as a patchwork of layered experiences. He borrows this process from drag queens – using the same materials that they do “to construct their fantasy onto their bodies”. Shimoyama draws inspiration from a rich archive of collected images and art history, as well as his own experience as a Black queer second-generation American. He wants to create an immersive experience for the viewer. The Barbershop Project (2019), realised this vision more literally, replicating a Black barbershop in an exhibition setting. Dragging these social issues into the light, Shimoyama ensures that all that glitters will be seen.
Devan Shimoyama (he/him) was born in Philadelphia, USA in 1989. He lives and works in Pittsburgh.
As well as neo-soul music, Shimoyama likes to play audiobooks while working – “I listen to a lot of sci-fi or epic fantasy novels.”
Shimoyama deals with heavy themes in his work, like death and racism. So when he isn’t working Shimoyama likes to tune out by watching reality TV or playing video games – “I need mindless activity.”
