As Frieze Los Angeles, Felix Art Fair, Spring/Break Art Show and dozens of galleries, as well as art, design and fashion pop-ups, welcomed an international swathe of guests to LA, every exhibitor had the opportunity to present powerful pieces. Amidst towering and transportive works at the three fairs, and the transgressive and thought-provoking pieces elsewhere (including Martine Syms‘ kinetic digital installation for Prada Mode, entitled “HelLA World“), there were several paintings that stood out for their take on contemporary portraiture. The following seven painted works by Black artists celebrate, honor and commemorate Black figures—and they do so with distinct vision.
Devan Shimoyama at Felix
At Felix, Philadelphia-born fine artist Devan Shimoyama displayed Waning Kiss (2021) which incorporated glitter and rhinestones into a work of oil and acrylic on canvas. The sparkling and textured figurative work, presented by Chicago-based Kavi Gupta, adheres to Shimoyama’s quest to increase representation of beauty, in particular for Black and queer people.
