New York-based painter Devon Rodriguez rides the 6 train between the Bronx and Manhattan to create his hyper-realistic portraits for his celebrated Subway Series to which Subway Girl, 2021, belongs. Rodriguez began experimenting with graffiti during his childhood on the streets of the Bronx, but after getting arrested at age thirteen, he made the stark transition to oil portraiture. With unlimited and endlessly fascinating subject matter, Rodriguez utilizes the style of traditional 19th-century European portraiture and infuses it with a palpable contemporary New York energy.
A stunning depiction of a commuter companion, Subway Girl is akin to the work that caught the eye of the established sculptor, John Ahearn, also known for his depictions of Bronx natives, at Rodriguez’s high school art exhibit in 2014. Ahearn stated that the work “was really deep and beautifully painted.”i Thereafter, Rodriguez became the sculptor’s mentee, muse and friend.
Quintessential of the 21st century, Rodriguez recently climbed to public notoriety on TikTok, having now amassed over 16 million followers. Recognizing the app as the perfect platform for a behind-the-scenes look at the artist’s process, Rodriguez posts hyper-lapsed videos of his quickly rendered yet supremely realistic drawings of the everyday people he encounters on the subway and juxtaposes them with the subjects’ awe-struck reactions upon viewing their portraits.