Devon Shimoyama is a visual artist from Pittsburgh, known for his vibrant and imaginative paintings that often explore themes of identity, race, gender, and sexuality. His work frequently incorporates elements of popular culture, fantasy, and personal narrative. Shimoyama has gained recognition for his unique style and the emotional resonance of his art. 

Devan Shimoyama

The Philadelphia-born visual artist delivers a wide-ranging guide covering restaurants and must-visit spots.

Born in Philadephia in 1989, artist Devan Shimoyama has lived in various places including New York and the Pittsburgh suburb of Brentwood, where he purchased a yellow-brick Craftsman house in the summer of 2018. His widely-exhibited works explore identity and desire; often, he creates effeverscent portraits of Black, queer men using the vibrancy of day-glo colours. Through his use of multi-layered collages and mixed mediums – glitter and jewels, in particular – his subjects dazzle in his portraits, appearing as mythical figures with glimmering eyes.

Having lived in Pittsburgh for a number of years now, the artist helps us to tap into the cultural underbelly of the Brentwood suburb with his curation of must-visit spots. Scroll down for a range of places to visit when you're in the area – from museums to gay bars and restaurants.

Pittsburgh 

Avant Arte

Probably [one of] my favourite bars regarding interiors. Also [a] great place to run into friends!

A fancier dinner place. [It's] a beautiful Thai restaurant with great outdoor seating.

I love birds, and it’s not like a zoo. They do really great work there, and you get to also interact with and feed sloths if you’re lucky enough to get a time slot.

The largest transportation museum dedicated to bicycles. A fun spectacle to see.

Blue Moon is a really fun gay bar where a lot of queens get their start (including more famous ones like Alaska). They’ve got open mic nights, too.

If I’m running errands for art supplies, [this is] a great spot for lox on a bagel.

A good Polish vegan restaurant that I frequently [go to] with colleagues.

Ride the Duquesne Incline. It’s pretty special!

Although this is maybe more of an institution, they do rotating contemporary artist shows that are really wonderful. A must see.

Similar Guides

Devan Shimoyama’s City Guide to Pittsburgh

Abidjan

Abuja

Accra

Addis Ababa

Almere 

Amman

Amsterdam

Asunción

Athens

Atlanta

Auckland 

Bali

Bangkok

Barbados

Barcelona

Bath

Beijing

Beirut

Belfast

Bengaluru

Benin City

Berlin

Bilbao

Birmingham

Brighton

Brisbane

Bristol

Brussels

Buenos Aires

Byron Bay

Cairo

Cape Town

Cardiff

Casablanca

Cayman Islands

Chandigarh

Chicago

Copenhagen

Cornwall

Cotonou

Crete

Denver

Detroit

Devon

Dorset

Dubai

Dublin

Durban

Düsseldorf

Genoa

Glasgow

Gothenburg 

Haiti 

Hamburg

Havana

Hawai'i

Hong Kong

Houston

Ibadan

Ibiza

Jakarta

Jamaica

Johannesburg

Kerala

Lagos

Lisbon

Liverpool

London

Los Angeles 

Lyon

Manama

Manchester

Manila

Margate

Marrakech

Marseille

Martinique 

Medellin

Melbourne

Mexico City 

Milan

Minneapolis 

Montevideo

Montreal

Mumbai

Munich

Murcia

Nairobi

Nashville 

New Delhi

New York City 

Nottingham 

Oakland

Oaxaca

Ortigia

Oslo

Palestine

Paris

Portland

Nearby

 Socio-cultural

Health

Wellness

Restaurant

Cafe