Devan Shimoyama

Devan Shimoyama (b. 1989) is an American artist who explores themes related to sexuality, race and gender. His carnivalesque art weaves together childhood experiences, queerness, mythology and art history. Shimoyama employs a playful technique and bold combinations of materials such as glitter, fabric and rhinestones, sometimes working on the scale of large installations.

Fade Cut presents a selection of paintings from Shimoyama’s Barbershop series, in which he transforms the hypermasculine African-American barbershop into a fictional site of queer fantasy. Highly praised in his native United States, the barbershop installation is an imaginary space where all kinds of people are welcome to express themselves freely. In this book, Shimoyama’s themes are discussed by Pauli Sivonen, Director of the Serlachius Museums, Laura Kuurne, Head of Collections and Exhibitions, and the artist himself.