Shawn Rhea

I am a visual artist and writer who spins my craft from my apartment-based studio in Harlem, New York, where I produce digital collage, figurative, and abstract works. My traditional mediums include soft pastels and acrylics.

For me, creating art is an ongoing exploration of the existential. It’s a physical response to how I’m experiencing and processing the world on a global and personal scale. Every material, color, shape and medium that I engage with sparks a unique journey and way of grappling with my questions, thoughts, emotions or memories. Color play and shape composition are central features of my works. Combined, these two elements produce a creative mix of wavelengths that keep whatever conversation I’m having with the canvas fluid and unexpected.

I am largely self-taught with some training received at the Art Students League of New York, Hunter College, and City College of New York.

My work has been included in the MoCADA Museum’s M’Dear: the Black Maternal exhibit (Governors Island, New York City – 2023) as well as shows at the Art Students League of New York. My original figurative work “A Prayer for Auntie” was selected for auction by the Whitney E. Houston Legacy Foundation in support of its August 2023 fundraising event. My work is included in numerous private collections.