Ars pro populo.
(Art for the people.)
born DeMario Davis
(American b. East St. Louis, IL 1986, lives Fort Worth, TX).
Conceived in the City of Champions of Tina Turner, Jackie Joiner-Kersee, and Miles Davis, molded in the sands of Camp Pendleton, and awarded in many fringes of DFW’s bedroom communities, Davis is a contemporary visual artist, who creates in a myriad of media, from paints to encaustic, pencils to textiles and fibers, and found object. His works are experimental, three dimensional, and underscore the artist’s social, political, and historical influences. His focus is architecture, and he is currently studying Landscape Architecture.
Davis is also an avid contributor and advocate for public art. His oeuvre includes public installations, such as murals, sculptures and nationally recognized achievements. He is the founder of the Arlington Artist Guild— An organization dedicated to arts advocacy in North Texas.
Davis notes: “There is a resurgence of art. The next renaissance is here. However, there is a disconnect between the patrons who support art, and the artists creating right now. We are out here creating masterworks, with the integrity and approach BEYOND international museum standards!”
Muhammad Dawud Studio provides a platform for collaborators to connect. He is currently in his shopping phase as an artist, continuing to find his voice, while also creating expressively, and working on gallery representation, his first solo exhibition, and an international exhibition.
@dawudlovesyou
A word from the artist.
What first got you into painting?
Watching the smile in my mother’s eyes on weekends, when she would decorate the home. We were young then - It was our formative years in Arlington, Texas. She managed being a mom, working as a paint professional with Sherwin Williams during the week, and a designer on the weekends. Her musical selections were equally important.
What inspires you?
Knowing that I have a direct responsibility to inspire every person around me to create. It doesn’t matter what you create. What is important, is the process of creating. You would be surprised at how little we create collectively as a society.
Why public art?
It creates momentum. It provides immediate impact wherever installed. It is human interaction. Thought. Perspective.
Why abstraction?
In the method, you only get one opportunity to get it right. The rest is research. Somewhere in the middle there’s improvement. I like that part. Pushing myself to the point of perfection, because it means absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things.
What themes are you exploring in your Sanctuary series?
Focusing on the historical aspect of immigration in America, the Sanctuary is a constant in the advancement of our Nation. From the Undrerground Railroad, to modern day sanctuaries, due to ill-focused planning and lack of immigration reform; God’s intentions for the family includes the church, and the sanctuary is a place of refuge. The sanctuary is where God manifests.
Why found objects as media?
It is the easiest way to directly contribute to Earth. At the current moment, the effects of global warming are beyond damaging to this planet, and we do not have much time to course correct.
The way that I take materials, from people that litter, paints the perfect picture of where we are in society. I am able to directly create change, by saving our rain cycle from chemicals, while also maintaining our beautiful planet at the same time.