About

DeVaughn Jerrell (b. 1994) is a self taught artist born to parents who weren’t strangers to the arts themselves; a musically inclined father and a mother who was a decorative baker amongst other things. Exposed to creativity and plenty genres of music early & often, DeVaughn’s passion was steadily fueled at home, finding his love for visual arts at the tender age of 6.

Growing up back & forth between Darby, PA & Middletown, DE, DeVaughn experienced a unique contrast of culture and people and this influenced his early focus on the human condition, expressed through portraiture.

DeVaughn developed his current style by studying artists like Caravaggio, John Singer-Sargent, Kehinde Wiley, Barkley L. Hendricks, and many others. Drawn to the humanistic nature, dramatic scenes, and themes he wanted to join the conversation and cultivate his own voice and language. He executes this by marrying his love for music with his skillful approach to portraits. Incorporating song titles and referencing music in his work to reveal themes and meaning adds a layer to his storytelling which keeps the conversation open and flowing (also used as a nod to the heavy amount of sampling that shapes hip hop). In respect to sampling, DeVaughn references pre existing paintings throughout art history to elevate and highlight topics and themes which may otherwise be overlooked in his work.

With continuous practice and years of study, DeVaughn began selling his work locally at the age of 16 and grew his list of collectors to an international level by age 25. Currently DeVaughn, 31, has work located in shops, galleries, & museums all along the East Coast and found a place in the homes of countless collectors.