2 $EXY 4 MY $HIRT
Marlos E’van
Elephant Gallery
Opening: April 4 6-9pm
Marlos E’van’s new exhibition mixes drawings, paintings and one hundred airbrushed t-shirts, all focused the ideas and places that have influenced them over the past few years.
The wall mounted work anchors the show with images of monsters, the Statue of Liberty, Roman Soldiers heading to war to win regional dominance. Uncle Scam is here, too, summoning the viewer to join his cause; be that an unnecessary war, the dismantling of DEI programs or forced deportations. Another piece’s title jumps right out of Uncle’s mouth: ALWAYS KILL WHAT YOU DONT UNDERSTAND!
Many of the t-shirts echo these ideas, others shoot off on different tangents and interests. From Marlos: “These shirts are guaranteed to turn the streets into your personal runway wherever you go in the world! Don’t believe me? Grab one for yourself and come back and see me in two months. TMZ, CNN and Soho House will all be raving about you! Because you’re just 2 $EXY 4 my $HIRT! 100% Guaranteed!"
-Elephant Gallery and Marlos E’van
Inquiries: contact alex@elephantgallery.com
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Marlos E'vans bio:
Marlos E’van (born Tupelo, MS) interweaves painting, performance and filmmaking to create art filled with joy, pain, celebration, sorrow, and the complex emotions from reenacted scenes of Black American history. E’van’s own life supplies many of the narratives in their work. Marginalization is a major theme, a lived experience for a queer black artist raised in Mississippi. Marlos’ work is also inspired by cult films such as Robocop, Total Recall, and Terminator, which blend dystopian landscapes and alternative realities. E’van co-founded McGruder Social Practice Artist Residency (M-SPAR) at the McGruder Center in North Nashville. Working as an educator in a hard-hit redlined Nashville neighborhood also informs E’van’s work.
E'van has been featured in Hyperallergic and New Art Examiner and has exhibited extensively in the South and Northeast . They’ve been awarded the Mellon Foundation and the Gener8tor grants. Marlos received their B.F.A. from Watkins College of Art. They are represented by Red Arrow Gallery.