Shawn Michael Warren

Region: Midwest

Shawn Michael Warren’s work brings attention and awareness to events and individuals (past and present) that have affected and shaped cultures and civilizations throughout the world.

His most notable creation, In a Promised Land . . . , received critical acclaim for bringing life to the tragic history of the Greenwood Community in early 1920s Tulsa, Oklahoma, home to the wealthiest black community in America: “The sublime beauty of Warren’s painting style combined with the absence of blood and gore makes the subject matter accessible, so that people linger and look closely at the scene of destruction and emotional upheaval” (Kate Lewis, in the Rapidian).

Through narrative painting, Warren depicts these subjects in a way that captures the attention of the viewer and triggers empathy as well as the need to learn and fully understand the story behind its imagery.