Artist-in-Residence Damien Davis

Damien Davis (b. 1984) is a New York-based artist, born in Crowley, Louisiana and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. His practice explores historical representations of blackness by seeking to unpack the visual language of various cultures and question how these societies code/decode representations of race through craft, design and digital modes of production. His work has appeared at The Whitney Museum and Museum of Modern Art, as well as METHOD Gallery in Seattle, and Biagiotti Progetto Arte in Italy. He is the recipient of the Rema Hort Mann Foundation Community Engagement Grant and has been awarded residencies with the Museum of Arts and Design, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and Pilchuck Glass School. Mr. Davis is also a former fellow and current advisor for the Art & Law Program. His work has been mentioned in the New York Times, Frieze Magazine, The Guardian, Hyperallergic and Vulture.

Mr. Davis holds a BFA in Studio Art and an MA in Visual Arts Administration from New York University.

“It is an honor to be selected as the artist-in-residence this year at the Sugar Hill Children's Museum of Art and Storytelling. I am looking forward to spending my time connecting and collaborating with such a young audience, and being part of an environment where stories and ideas are facilitated through the honesty and sincerity of children will be a wonderful experience.

While at Sugar Hill, my research will focus on a new body of work using the aesthetics of waiting rooms in children’s hospitals, which exist as a site for both nostalgia and trauma. This work will begin to unpack the complicated dynamics of families with sick children, and examine the U.S. medical establishment’s long legacy of discrimination and exploitation of black Americans, the indelible memory of which remains deeply embedded in the collective consciousness of our community.

I am excited about getting this unique chance to share my work with such a diverse audience, as well as having the opportunity to be part of this young institution's sure to be incredible legacy.”

Damien Davis

A LOOK AT DAMIEN’S WORK