Abigail DeVille (born 1981) is an artist who creates large

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

s and installations, often incorporating found materials from the neighborhoods around the exhibition venues. DeVille's sculptures and installations often focus on themes of the history of

racist Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

violence,

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more Wealth, affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and urban planning, planning. Gentrification ...

, and lost regional history. Her work often involves a performance element that brings the artwork out of its exhibition space and into the streets; DeVille has organized these public events, which she calls "processionals," in several U.S. cities, including Washington, D.C.,

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

, and New York. Deville likes to use her own family as inspiration for her art work. She decided to use her grandmother as inspiration because of her vibrant personality, to help her articulate ideas from the neighborhoods of the Bronx. Deville is pleased that her art works are unique, as many people see trash as useless to them, while DeVille instead sees an opportunity.

Early life and education

DeVille was born in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

and lives and works in the

Bronx, New York The Bronx () is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state, state of New York (state), New York. It is south of Westchester County, New York, Westchester County; north and east of the ...

. DeVille tries to direct attention to historical realities that are largely unknown; she tries to illuminate truths, which people give little care or thought to, from the history of a group of people seen through the light of violence. She attended the

High School of Art & Design The High School of Art and Design is a career and technical education high school in Manhattan, New York City, New York State, United States. Founded in 1936 as the School of Industrial Art, the school moved to 1075 Second Avenue in 1960 and more ...

(1999) and the

Cooper Union The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (Cooper Union) is a private college at Cooper Square in New York City. Peter Cooper founded the institution in 1859 after learning about the government-supported École Polytechnique in ...

Saturday Program. DeVille teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned a B.F.A. from the

Fashion Institute of Technology The Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) is a public college in New York City. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) and focuses on art, business, design, mass communication, and technology connected to the fashion industry. It ...

(2007) and an M.F.A. from

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

(2011) and studied at

Pratt Institute Pratt Institute is a private university with its main campus in Brooklyn, New York (state), New York. It has a satellite campus in Manhattan and an extension campus in Utica, New York at the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute. The school was ...

(2000) and the

Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture is an artists residency located in Madison, Maine, just outside of Skowhegan. Every year, the program accepts online applications from emerging artists from November through January, and selects 65 t ...

(2007). She has held residencies at the

Studio Museum in Harlem The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...

(2013–2014) and the International Studio and Curatorial Program, Brooklyn (2012). DeVille took part in the reality television series ''

Artstar ''Artstar'' is an unscripted reality television series set in the New York City art world, considered to be the first in the visual arts. Selected from an open call of over 400 applicants, eight artists participate in a group exhibition at Deitch ...

'' (2006), the first art-based reality show.

Solo exhibitions

*2016 - Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NYC *2017 - ''No Space Hidden (Shelter)'', Institute of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA * 2018 - ''The American Future'',

Portland Institute for Contemporary Art The Portland Institute for Contemporary Art (PICA) is a contemporary performance and visual arts organization in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. PICA was founded in 1995 by Kristy Edmunds. Since 2003, it has presented the annual Time-Based ...

, Portland, OR * 2020 - '' Light of Freedom'', Madison Square Park Conservancy, New York, NY

Awards

DeVille has received awards from the

Joan Mitchell Foundation Joan Mitchell (February 12, 1925 – October 30, 1992) was an American artist who worked primarily in painting and printmaking, and also used pastel and made other works on paper. She was an active participant in the New York School of artis ...

(2012), the Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of the

New York Community Trust The New York Community Trust is the community foundation for New York City, with divisions in Westchester and Long Island. It is one of the oldest and largest community foundations in the United States and one of the largest funders of New York Ci ...

(2012), and Creative Capital (2015). In 2015, she also received the

Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards originally given by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theatre artists and groups in New York City. In September 2014, the awards were jointly presented and administered with the A ...

for design for her work as a scenic and costume designer on ''Prophetika: An Oratorio'', a production at

La Mama Experimental Theatre Club La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (La MaMa E.T.C.) is an Off-Off-Broadway theatre founded in 1961 by Ellen Stewart, African-American theatre director, producer, and fashion designer. Located in Manhattan's East Village, the theatre began in the ...

. In 2016 she was awarded a Rome Prize of the American Academy in Rome (for 2017-2018).Chuck Close/Henry W. and Marian T. Mitchell Rome Prize

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Deville, Abigail 1981 births Living people 21st-century American artists Pratt Institute alumni Artists from New York City 21st-century American women artists African-American women artists American women installation artists American installation artists Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture alumni Fashion Institute of Technology alumni Yale School of Art alumni 21st-century African-American women 21st-century African-American artists 20th-century African-American people 20th-century African-American women