Dominic Chambers

Dominic Chambers walks us through Like the Shape of Clouds on Water, his exhibition of paintings currently on view at The August Wilson African American Culture Center, Pittsburgh, PA (September 18 – December 13, 2020).

Chambers creates large scale paintings and drawings that reference literary narratives cited in books, various mythologies, and African-American history. Specifically, working through color field paintings, his current work is invested in exploring moments of contemplation and meditation through reading and leisure. His work is founded upon the relationship between reality and fantasy. At this illusory boundary, Chambers negotiates ideas of magical realism by presenting Black figures as they delve into literature and contemplation within imagined landscapes. These subtle, leisurely moments not only celebrate each subject’s visionary power but further negate pervasive and toxic clichés, instead focusing on Black talent, creativity and mysticism. 

Dominic Chambers is a New Haven-based artist from St.Louis, MO. Chambers received his BFA from the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design and an MFA from the Yale University School of Art in 2019. 

Chambers has exhibited his work in exhibitions in the United States and Europe. He has participated in a number of residencies, including The Yale Norfolk summer residency and the New York Studio residency Program in Brooklyn, NY.

Dominic Chambers
Like The Shape of Clouds On Water, 2020
Single-channel video (5 minutes, 24 seconds)