On the occasion of his solo exhibition “Cry, Baby” at The Andy Warhol Museum, Dazed and them interviewed Professor Devan Shimoyama about his artistic practice and about showing his work next to Andy Warhol’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” series.
For Dazed, Lexi Manatakis writes, “Shimoyama’s work is a utopian oasis where glitter, rhinestones, sequins, and block rainbow colours are in dialogue with topics such as the raw realities of police brutality, black masculinity, and the importance of safe spaces. As a queer artist of colour, Shimoyama draws on his experiences to change the conversation around queer people of colour.”
For them, Osman Can Yerebakan writes, “Shimoyama shrouds his figures — posing in barbershops or their personal bathrooms — with glitter, jewelry, and magazine cutouts, placing them into glamorous settings accentuated by mundane objects like beauty products, books, flowers, or even snakes. He grasps queer and Black perseverance with dazzling colors and exquisite brushstrokes.”