Shawn Demarest
Oil paintings of El Rito, amplification of Gaza photojournalism shawndemarest.com
Shawn Demarest considers herself a place-based oil painter. She observes her surroundings, responds to them and strives to reflect back what she sees and feels. Recently she has moved to working from memory and sketch, and in the past year and a half, being deeply affected by events in Gaza, she has amplified the work of Gaza photojournalists in her own work. Shawn moved to El Rito in 2020 after visiting during the Studio Tour the year before, and the land around El Rito and the village itself provide her with endless inspiration.