Shannon T. Lewis

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Unpublished Matter, 2021

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Shannon T. Lewis (b. 1981 in Toronto, Canada; lives and works in Berlin, Germany) is an artist of Caribbean descent reconfiguring human forms and the spaces they inhabit within her complex and vivid paintings. Lewis begins with assemblage — the forefront of her practice — utilizing fragments of form and space. Particularly inspired by social cues of culture, whimsical aspects in the work evoke a notion of freedom by examining marginalized identities.  

The use of architectural elements is a recurring element, oftentimes inspired by ornate iconography. Painted and interlaced limbs reconnoiter the history of femininity and its relation to Blackness. Lewis offers a window into freedom and body politics as the figurative compositions explore surrealism. Haunting portraits derived from archival and personal sources, Lewis imbues the past and present to construct a dystopian future. 

Lewis has exhibited in Canada, the United States, Trinidad, Switzerland, England and Germany. She has a Bachelor of Arts from OCADU in Toronto (Canada) and a Master of Fine Arts from Goldsmiths, University of London (UK).