Romy Maloon 

Romy Aura Maloon is a first generation American, born of South African parents. Her work is an attempt to ingratiate and reconcile the disparate identities and geographic spaces of her upbringing and ancestral background create. Working as an event coordinator and marketer, her material use is often associated with social events, décor crafting, and site specific exploration. Romy’s works have been exhibited throughout the United States, including Atlanta Contemporary. She participated in Tomorrow Stars, the Verge Art Miami Beach in conjunction with Art Basel Miami. She is a former Walthall Artist Fellow. She has produced large scale works for Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Elevate Atlanta, which exhibited in Times Square New York, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, and Brunswig Square in Los Angeles. Romy studied Fine Arts at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. She currently lives and works in Los Angeles, California, but she left her heart in Atlanta, Ga.

Statement
Issues of social displacement, identity cultivation, and power structures gird my work. I come by these themes experientially. Jewish South Africans with a liberal bent, my parents fled the apartheid government of South Africa and settled in the Deep South. Here, they struggled to reconcile Homeland with Land of Opportunity. Here, they clung to Judaism and Africa and, when things fell apart, questioned their choices, and their identities.

My sculptures are a tongue-in-cheek re-imagining of stock "African" and American kitsch images: the slain antelope, the mounted rifle, the posturing lion embellished with glitzy objects that mitigate their disturbing imagery. Often, I use organic materials like skulls, bones, and furs, in conjunction with synthetic materials. These synthetics are often obtained from my work as an event coordinator, where I am responsible for creating centerpieces and ambient installations. I intend for this material disjuncture to echo the palimpsest that is my family’s experience. It is this space, between the unsettling and beautiful, the artificial and real, the fractured and whole, the displaced and rooted, that I encourage the viewer to gaze, and question.

CV

Education

2005 - 2009 Ringling College of Art and Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major - Fine Arts, Minor - Business, Sarasota, FL

2008 New York Studio Program, Independent Residency Studio Program, Brooklyn, NY    

2007 Pratt Institute with Global Learning Labs, Artist Cultural Exchange Program, Traveling China and Tibet

Artist Residencies

2015 Walthall Fellowship Ossabaw Island Residency, Ossabaw Island, Ga

Public Art Commissions

2018 ReCalibrate, One Times Square, New York, NY, Jamestown LP

2018 ReCalibrate, Ghirardelli Square, San Francisco, Ca, Jamestown LP

2014 Calibrate, Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs Presents Elevate Atlanta, Atlanta Ga

2013 Tedx Peachtree, The Hollow Men, The Buckhead Theatre, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Dashboard Co-op (Installation)

Solo Exhibition Record

2015 Epiphany is Not a Blazing Light, Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Mark Basehore and James Mcconnell

2013 Wild Dogs Stumble Upon the Ladies of the Flies, Young Blood Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curators: Rebecca Hannah- Visual Artist (Installation)

Exhibition Record

2018

Satan's Spa Day, ArtShare LA, Los Angeles, Ca, Curator: Katie Frager

Curio: A California Cabinet of Curiosities, Brunswig Square, Los Angeles, Ca, Curator: Yasmine Mohseni

Brunswig Square Launch Party, Brunswig Square, Los Angeles, Ca, Curator: Sandi Turner and Chris Wyrick

2017

The Art Bus Project, traveling East Coast, USA, Curator: Lucia Davis, founder of the Art Bus Project

2016

Uh Oh You’ve Really Done it Now, Pheonix Fest, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Deer Bear Wolf

FUCKING L*** YOU TOO, Kibbee Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: IFLY, Mike Stasny and George Long

2015

Nick O time, Kibbee Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Ben Goldman, Gallery Director of Kibbee Gallery

Deer Bear Wolf's Ocularis, Mammal Gallery, Atlanta Ga, Curator: Katie Troisi, Atlanta based painter

South. Kibbee Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Ben Goldman, Gallery Director of Kibbee Gallery

Mint Leap Year Applicant Exhibition, Mint Gallery, Atlanta Ga, Curator: Candice Greathouse, Gallery & Creative Director

Walthall Fellowship Exhibition: Portalism, MOCA GA, Atlanta Ga, Curator: Maggie Ginestra, Walthall Fellowship Liaison

Hambidge Art Auction, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Ben Goldman and Teresa Bramlette Reeves

Calibrate, Burnaway Art Crush, Atlanta Ga, Curator: Sumptuary, Mike Stansny   

16th Annual ART PAPERS, BoBo Intriguing Objects, Atlanta, GA, Curator: Saskia Benjamin, Executive Director of ART PAPERS

A Common Thread, Museum of Quilts and Textiles, San Jose Ca, Curated by Susan O’Malley

Wild Kingdom, Kibbee Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Ben Goldman, Gallery Director of Kibbee Gallery

2014

Barbara Archer Gallery for Nature Conservancy, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta Ga, Curator: Barbara Archer  

Locals We Love, W-Atlanta Midtown, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Dashboard Co-op (Installation)

Hambidge Art Auction, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Ben Goldman

15th Annual ART PAPERS, Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, Ga Curator: Saskia Benjamin, Executive Director of ART PAPERS

2013

Atlanta Film Festival Sound & Vision 2013, Goat Farm Art Center, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Mark DiNatale

Forward Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award Exhibition, Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta Ga Curators: Forward Arts Foundation Board

Hambidge Art Auction, Goat Farm Arts Center, Atlanta Ga, Curators: Ben Goldman

14th Annual ART PAPERS, Mason Murer Fine Art, Atlanta, GA Curator: Saskia Benjamin, Executive Director of ART PAPERS            

2012

Tomorrow Stars, the Verge Art Miami Beach, Essex Hotel Miami, Miami Beach, FL, Jurors: Michael Workman- Verge founder, Meg Duguid- Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs Art in Public Parks

Create, Destroy, Rebuild, Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curators: Mark Basehore and James McConnell- Beep Beep Managers/Owners    

Faces of Feminism, White Spec Gallery Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Nikita Gale- Conceptual Artist

Day Job, Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Atlanta, Ga, Curators: Nina Katchadourian and Stuart Horodner (catalogue)

2011

Tomorrow Stars, the Verge Art Miami Beach, The Greenview Hotel Miami, Fl

Jurors: Michael Workman- Verge founder, Meg Duguid- Chicago Dept. of Cultural Affairs Art in Public Parks

Curators: Michael Thomas- former Dogmatic Gallery Director, Patrick Collier- Portland-based art critic        

Alchemy, Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta, Ga Curators: Mark Basehore and James McConnell- Beep Beep Managers/Owners

Bomb the Moon, WonderRoot at Goat Farm, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Chris Richards- Artistic Director for WonderRoot

The Beautiful Corpse, MINT Gallery, Atlanta, Ga, Curator: Mike Germon- Gallery Manager at MINT

2010

PLASTIC, Eyedrum Art and Music Gallery, Atlanta, Ga

Curators: Mandie Mitchell- Eyedrum Board Member, Jonathan Dye- Director of the Macon Arts Alliance    

Atlanta Celebrates Pornography, Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta Ga

Curators: Mark Basehore and James McConnell- Beep Beep Managers/Owners

Dashboard Co-op Presents: Fresh Meat: Filets, Strips and Other Marbled Delights, The Goat Farm Gallery, Atlanta, Ga   Curators: Beth Malone and Courtney Hammond- Dashboard Co-op Founders

Material, Beep Beep Gallery, Atlanta Ga Curators: Mark Basehore and James McConnell- Beep Beep Managers/Owners

2009

Icehouse Exhibit, East Atlanta Art Walk, Atlanta, Ga

Ringling College Thesis, Deluxe Arts Miami, Miami FL, Curators: David & Susan Hopper- Deluxe Arts Gallery Owners

BFA Senior Thesis Fine Art Exhibition, Ringling College of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL            

Best of Ringling Juried Exhibition, Putterman Award for Sculpture, Selby Gallery, Sarasota, Fl

Jurors: Kent Henricksen and Nicelle Beauchene- Artists and Gallery Owners            

Quarry, Senior Thesis Show, Crossley Gallery, Sarasota, FL, Curators: Romy Maloon & Kayla Carlson        

Crease, Joint Collective, Sarasota, FL, Curators: Joint Collective Artistic Board            

2008

Best of Ringling Juried Exhibition, Selby Gallery Sarasota, Fl Putterman Award for Printmaking Juror: Tony MatellI

The Ones That Got Away, Crossley Gallery, Sarasota, Fl Curator: Reva Castillenti and Kayla Carlson    

New York Studio Program Presents: Aminal Party, 20 Jay Street Studio, DUMBO Brooklyn

NYSP Selection Committee: John Tomlinson: NYSP Founder & Professor, Domainique Nahas- Critic

Jan Avgikos- Yale's School of Fine Art Critic, Art Forum contributor, Art Historian            

Generation 6, A.I.R. Gallery, New York, NY

2007

Rubbish Grubbish, Crossley Gallery, Sarasota, Fl            

Check it, Triangles Gallery, Sarasota Fl Curator: Artist Jonathan Clark        

Best of Ringling College Juried Exhibition, Selby Gallery, Sarasota, Fl

Fellowships

2014-2015 Walthall Artist Fellowship, Wonderroot Mentorship and Professional Development Program 

Awards and Honors            

2012 - Finalist for the Forward Arts Foundation Award
2011 - Nominated for the Forward Arts Foundation
2010 - Scoutmob’s “Creative Eye” 
        Visual Overture “Artist of the Week” 
2009 - Best of Ringling Juried Exhibition
        Best of Ringling Sculpture Award
2008 - Ringling College of Art and Design Trustees Scholar Award Nominee
        Selected to attend the New York Studio Program
2007 - Best of Ringling Juried Exhibition
        Putterman Award for Printmaking