Tylonn Sawyer

Tylonn Sawyer (American, b.1976) is a painter, draughtsman and muralist. As a contemporary figurative painter, Sawyer has always focused on realism and naturalism. His mural of an African-American boy sitting in the same position as the iconic Spirit of Detroit is one of the pieces of public art that adorns the Whole Foods Market in Detroit. He also has been a resident artist and guest curator for the Red Bull House of Art in Eastern Market.

In two recent bodies of work he has focused his ambition on emphatically frontal, large scale portraits—Faces—and on masked individuals who hide their faces behind images of famous personages—Black Masquerade. In the latter, he has segued from his earlier bust or waist-length single figures, as in The Son (Sun) (2013) and A Lady in Red…not Jean Hill (2012) to dramatic, multi-figural compositions like 3 Graces, Nina and the mural-scaled Congregation MLK (both 2015). Sawyer has used the image of the icon-mask extensively in his work over the last three years, and for American Gods has created bunches of James Baldwins, cohorts of Nina Simones, an avatar Angela Davis, and more. In this collection of works, the artist draws upon a wide range of references, like the orisha-based faith of Ifá and Yoruba religions, the codified behaviors of secret societies, and American popular culture. Behind the figures in each painting is an allusion to the American flag, rendered in different motifs.

Sawyer received a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from the New York Academy of Art: Graduate School of Figurative Art and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (drawing & painting) from Eastern Michigan University. He is also the recipient of the Peter T. Rippon Travel Award, independent study at the Royal Academy of Art, London, England.