Kevin Devonport (he/him) is an artist based at Assembly House Studios in Leeds. He is a self-taught painter, learning whilst serving a prison sentence for drug offences. Art has had a major impact on Kevin’s life and in particular his rehabilitation, by allowing him to be grounded in an accepting social world, unlike previous experiences in which he was ostracised due to the criminal label that others attached. Despite not having formal artistic qualifications, he holds a First Class Honours BSc in Sociology that influences his work considerably.
Devonport is interested in still life painting of everyday contemporary artefacts. He likes to convey the meanings that people attach to materiality by creating a narrative from mundane objects. For his bursary project, he has developed a still life composition.
This PANIC! bursary painting depicts a number of artefacts that are related to the Covid-19 pandemic through his own interpretation, including the Major Arcana of the Tarot. The Tower card of the Tarot deck is used to display a cataclysmic event that is often life changing through the breaking down of old structures. However, it also offers a renewed opportunity to rebuild.
Listen to a description of the artwork here:
