What is an Apostro'fiend, anyway?
Having an apostrophe in the middle of your first name brings about all sorts of problems. Filling out standardized test forms was a hassle. Teachers would scoff at the so-called bastardization of my name. Kids would purposefully mispronounce my name as de-vin. I was embarrassed by my name. I felt othered. My name, like the apostrophe, was an interruption
—it created space between the world and me.
But at university, I learned that an apostrophe was originally a stage direction instructing the actor to turn away from the audience and speak to someone no one else could see. Once I learned that, I felt free to love my name, and by extension, myself. I became addicted to loving the parts of me that were ridiculed by other people. I turned back to myself. And I loved her.
Likewise, my art is about turning away from others and speaking to yourself. To your spirit. To your ancestors. To your future.
Apostro'fiend
/əˈpästrəfēnd/
noun
1. A person who turns away from the world to commune with themselves
2. A person who stands out in a crowd
3. A person who prioritizes community-care, self-care, and self-love
4. A collector of collage paintings by De'Von
Art Collided with Me
All About the Artist at Apostro'fiend
My first collage was a prayer. I took every intangible desire I had and pasted them on paper without care for how it looked. Color, Balance, and Shape be damned: I was on a mission to see what I couldn't see. To make the implicit, explicit. And that desire, that yearning is what inspires every painting I create. With each piece I craft, whether it is a custom piece or a print in a collection, I pour out yearning and desire on to the canvas.
At Apostro'fiend I center Black and Brown experiences. From the Great Migration of the early 20th Century to redlining in American Cities. From tragedies to triumphs. From water protectors to root workers. From the Bellingham Riots to the MOVE bombing. From DREAMers to AME church bishops. From stolen land to stolen people. Here, you will see collage and culture connect. It is my hope you will see yourself in this art. And in turn, you will see the art in you.