Shannon T. Lewis

Shannon T. Lewis (b. 1981 Canada; based in Berlin) 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 ethnicity, 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 and a Master of Fine Arts from Goldsmiths, University of London.