Tyler Deauvea

WE OUTSIDE WIDDIT

On View: May 26 - July 22, 2023 I Sculpture Garden

Opening Reception: Friday, May 26, 2023 | 6 - 8 PM

Artist Talk: Saturday, May 27, 2023 I Starting at 2 PM

Art League Houston (ALH) is pleased to present WE OUTSIDE WIDDIT, a sculptural installation by Tyler Deauvea, a multimedia artist whose work features several re-occurring characters that explore the personal journey of a “Black Man in America.” WE OUTSIDE WIDDIT celebrates Deauvea’s entrance into a new medium and the unique interaction that his work has with audiences. Additionally, it displays the representation of a group of people who are often underrepresented in a space where heterosexual Black Men are not typically celebrated or rarely seen.

Although Deauvea does not directly address social issues in America, his work carries a profound political statement that speaks to the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Inspired by the "Otaku" subculture of Japan, Deauvea's characters "ZOE" and "ZOEY" serve as a conduit for his stories, inviting viewers to see themselves in the scenes he portrays. His artistic style, which he describes as "AFROPOP," infuses his work with vibrant colors and bold lines, reflecting the energy and spirit of his creations.

For Deauvea, the act of creating is a meditative process that allows him to release himself in each moment, giving life to his personal narrative and inviting others to find meaning and resonance in their own journeys.

About the Artist

Tyler Deauvea is a multimedia artist based in Houston, TX. He is self-taught, and his artistic journey began with photography and film during his time at Lamar High School. As a broadcast journalism student at Texas Southern University, Tyler honed his craft using Houston’s nightlife as a source of inspiration. He later transitioned to digital collage while interning at Instrument, a digital marketing company in Portland, Oregon, in 2015.

Within the same year, Tyler's artwork was featured on the album cover for Iman Omari's project "High & Higher Loops," which was released by Fresh Selects, a local Portland record company. However, in the three years leading up to his first formal showing, Tyler struggled to package his work in a way that was easily digestible for casual audiences.

In the spring of 2018, he began to create a body of work that gave birth to ZOE and ZOEY, the characterized mainstay of his work going forward. Tyler was formally introduced to the art world by way of a chance meeting with Robert Hodge at the 2019 show "Collect It For The Culture II," where he exhibited alongside established artists such as Mark Flood, Floyd Newsum, and Jesse Lott. Later that year, he also exhibited at the David Shelton Gallery alongside younger artists like Alexis Pye, Brandon Thompson, and Kate Mulholland in the show “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright Now.”

In 2020, Tyler was the Artist in Residence on BET’s Instagram page, where his work was showcased, and his artistic practice was detailed over the course of a week. He also collaborated with Premium Goods for an installation for his basketball project "FOR THE LUV OF THE GAME," which paid homage to the passing of Kobe Bryant and the childhood heroes of his youth. This body of work granted him a feature on SlamOnline.com, a prominent basketball website. Additionally, Tyler participated in the MFAH's first-ever virtual "Art Encounters" series.

Later that year, he began to work in textile.

In November of 2021, Tyler's unique canvas collaged works, along with some of his later digital works, were showcased in a show with Glass Rice Gallery in San Fransisco. The exhibition also featured a visual film piece entitled "BROKE BOYS GET FIXED," which shared the same name as the show.

Most recently, Tyler spent a few months in the Houston-based P.A.C. residency during the first quarter of 2023. While there, he extended his artistic practice even further to include animation cel drawings.

Artist Website

Instagram: @tylerdeauvea