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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.

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.

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Devan Shimoyama’s City Guide to Pittsburgh

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