Devan Shimoyama USA, b. 1989
Happyness, 2022
Oil, colored pencil, collage, glitter, fabric, Flashe, acrylic and embellishments on canvas stretched over two panels (48"x60" panel hangs above 36"x60" panel, with 48"x60" wall vinyl installed directly next to top panel in exhibition)
84 x 60 x 2 in
213.4 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
213.4 x 152.4 x 5.1 cm
8394
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Happyness, by Devan Shimoyama, debuted in the artist’s 2022 solo exhibition A Counterfeit Gift Wrapped in Fire. Shimoyama conceived the exhibition around the idea of metamorphosis. This painting in particular...
Happyness, by Devan Shimoyama, debuted in the artist’s 2022 solo exhibition A Counterfeit Gift Wrapped in Fire. Shimoyama conceived the exhibition around the idea of metamorphosis. This painting in particular belongs to a series of works based on the transformation sequences that occur within anime, and comics genres such as manga. The multi-paneled composition portrays the same crying figure from two perspectives. From one panel to the next it’s evident that the outward appearance and inward essence of the figure is undergoing profound change.
The title Happyness also relates to a series of vinyl wall prints that Shimoyama installed throughout A Counterfeit Gift Wrapped in Fire, which reference iconic, metamorphic moments in pop culture—such as Will Smith’s tearful eyes as he embraces his son in one of the final scenes of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, and the inscrutable eyes of Usagi Tsukino as she pauses time in front of her awestruck and soon to be vanquished enemies to flamboyantly transform into her alter ego, Sailor Moon.
The title Happyness also relates to a series of vinyl wall prints that Shimoyama installed throughout A Counterfeit Gift Wrapped in Fire, which reference iconic, metamorphic moments in pop culture—such as Will Smith’s tearful eyes as he embraces his son in one of the final scenes of the movie The Pursuit of Happyness, and the inscrutable eyes of Usagi Tsukino as she pauses time in front of her awestruck and soon to be vanquished enemies to flamboyantly transform into her alter ego, Sailor Moon.