© Courtesy of Emmanuel Massillon and cadet capela
Emmanuel Massillon
Selected media
Biography
Born in 1998, in Washington DC, US
Lives and works in Washington DC and New York City, US
Emmanuel Massillon is an African American conceptual artist who works in several different mediums including painting, photography, and sculpture. With these varying mediums, He explores the complex history of race, identity, culture and it’s the relation to people of African descent. Massillon’s upbringing in the inner city of Washington D.C. shapes the unique narrative that he strives to convey through his work, which is introducing others to new ideas by creating work from day-to-day life to politically charged topics. With this, he aims for his viewers to start and explore conversations that may or may not have been previously spoken about.
Language and materials is very much an important part of his work; he uses many visual puns and many examples of street vernacular which adds to the overall experience of his artwork. The use of language and puns is directly inspired by many genres of African- American music such as Jazz, R&B and Rap music which Massillon believes to be one of the main preservers of black culture in America. The materials used in his work vary from bullet shells, dirt, found objects and wood which act as a way to express his perception of the world by using materials found in his own environment and cultural history. With influences as diverse as folk art, music, art history and African history. Massillon uses many reference points to get his ideas across to his viewers, in a simple yet evoking manner.
When he isn’t working on creating artwork Massillon can be found curating shows to shed light on artists looking to share a similar narrative as him.
Massillon is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City and is pursuing a BFA in Fine Arts. In recognition of his academic and artistic accomplishments, Massillon was selected as a recipient of the Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship and is a recipient of the District of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities Exhibitions (Curatorial) Grant.
Exhibitions
Curriculum vitae
Solo and two-person exhibitions
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2023Some Believe It To Be Conspiracy, UTA Artist Space, Atlanta, GE, US
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Only Time Will Tell, with Ryan Cosbert, cadet capela, Paris, FR
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2022Wait, Just Hear Me Out !, cadet capela, Paris, FR
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2021As Clear As Mud, curated by Tara Coleman, Swivel Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, US
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2022Outer Body Experiences, with Darin Cooper, Andrea Festa Fine Art, Rome, IT
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2021The Complexity and Cost of Identity No.2 Autotune Machine, curated by Shameekia Johnson, The Housing Gallery, New York, NY, US
Group exhibitions
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2023Syncopated Tales, Bode Gallery, Berlin, DE
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Between the Seams, curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah and Paul Anthony Smith, PM/AM, London, GB
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The Dance, Luce Gallery, Torino, IT
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SEEING STARS: Works from the Fischer / Shull Collection of Contemporary Art, curated by Dexter Wimberly, The Harvey B. Gantt Center, Charlotte, NC, US
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Not For Sale, curated by Cornelia Stokes & Kiara Cristina Ventura, NXVHTN, New Haven, CT, US
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2022The Shape Of Things, Swivel Gallery, Saugerties, NY, US
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Arrangements in Black, Phillips, New York, NY, US
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Collage / Assemblage, Eric Firestone Gallery, East Hampton, NY, US
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Tempus Fugit, curated by Charles Moore, Latchkey Gallery, New York City, NY, US
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Charles White: Influences, curated by Barbara Galazzo and Newton Paul, Rockland Center for the Arts, West Nyack, NY, US
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2021Carpe Diem, curated by Michael Sherman, UTA Artist Space
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Cocinando, curated by Kiara Cristina Ventura, Tumbao Gallery, Brooklyn, NY, US
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A Gathering, curated by KJ Freeman, organized by Shani Strand, The Housing Gallery, New York, NY, US
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Concurrence, curated by Adam Cable, SVA Galleries
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In the Time of the Improbable, curated by BFA Fine Arts Chair Suzanne Anker and faculty members Nancy Chunn and Peter Hristoff, SVA Galleries
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2020The Narrative Scale, curated by Tyson Skross, SVA Galleries
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Across the Surface / On the Edge, curated by Ian Burnley, Evan Durkin, Alejandro Chen Li, Luis Navarro, Amy Stienbarger, Tarah Rhoda and Tyler Rowland, SVA Galleries
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The Gallery Wish x Sprite The Giveback Exhibition, curated by Anna Akpele, The Gallery at Wish, Atlanta, GA, US
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The Cookout: Kinfolk and Other Intimacies, curated by Maleke Glee and Amy Andrieux (MoCADA Executive Director), MoCADA (Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts)
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Here We Are, curated by Emmanuel Massillon, SVA Gramercy Gallery, New York, NY, US
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2019Mirrored Display, SVA Gramercy Gallery, New York, NY, US
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2017Night In The Garden Group Show, St John’s University Gallery, Jamaica Queens, NY, US
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LIU Brooklyn Art Department Showing, LIU Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY, US
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2016Bloom Group Art Show, Pyramid Gallery, Sliver Spring, MD, US
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The Art of Politics Group Art Show, Pyramid Gallery, Sliver Spring, MD, US
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2015The Unknown Group Art Show, Creative Acts Learning Center Gallery, Washington DC, US
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2014Contrast Group Art Showing, Contrast Group Art Showing, Washington DC, US
Fairs
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2022A-Side/B-Side, Untitled Art Miami Beach (Solo), cadet capela, Miami, FL, US
Collections
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Baltimore Museum of Art
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21c Museum Hotels
Awards
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Silas H. Rhodes Scholarship
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istrict of Columbia Commission on the Arts and Humanities Exhibitions (Curatorial) Grant
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The Gallery Wish x Sprite The Giveback Grant
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UN/MUTE-10002- Virtual residency Sponsored by Undercurrent and the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC)
Education
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2022BFA Fine Arts, School of Visual Arts, New York, NY, US