David Leggett - CV + Bio

David Leggett creates paintings and drawings that utilize a comic style to deal with serious and sensitive subjects like religion and racial injustice. While he makes his works accessible with colorful depictions of Bart Simpson, Mickey Mouse, clowns or other somewhat familiar blobby characters coupled with catchy phrases, he does so to get you in. Once there, you will have to face the more difficult issues that are part of every work. In doing so, Leggett broaches subjects that are often too difficult for most artists to address, or when they do, they do so in a heavy handed, cliché laden manner that has no effect. Leggett’s approach is successful because it does not tell you what to think, but it does ask you to think.


Born 1980, Springfield, Massachusetts
Lives and works in Los Angeles

Education
2010
Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Skowhegan, Maine

2007
MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

2003
BFA, Savannah College of Art and Design, Georgia

Solo Exhibitions
2023
Everyday Struggle, Steve Turner, Los Angeles
Tuck your chain, Omni Gallery, London

2021
Say Less, Anthony Gallery, Chicago
We Got Food At Home
, Steve Turner, Los Angeles

2020
Why you really mad? Steve Turner, Los Angeles

2019
David Leggett, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago

2017
Asking for a friend, Kimmerich Gallery, Berlin
Drawings, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago
Their funeral, our dance floor, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago

2016
Black Drawls, Gallery 400, Chicago

2015
Sugar foot rain dance, Arts Incubator in Washington Park, Chicago

2014
Going to bed angry, 65 Grand Gallery, Chicago

2012
Coco River Fudge Street, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
It’s getting to the point where nobody respects the dead, fresh to death, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
David Leggett New Paintings, Hinge Gallery, Chicago

2010
Up for the Down Stroke, 65 Grand Gallery, Chicago

Group Exhibitions
2023
Goosebumps, Anthony Gallery, Chicago
Hat Trick, Rusha & Co., Los Angeles

2022
Untitled, Miami Beach (with Steve Turner)
All that light
, Logan Center Exhibitions, Chicago
Hotline, Long Beach Museum of Art
EXPO Chicago (with Steve Turner)

2020
Group Show, Zidoun & Bossuyt Gallery, Luxembourg
Blackstract, Tag Gallery, Los Angeles
Eleven Figures in Two Parts, Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara, California

2019
Depiction, Again, Kunstverein Gallery, Langenhagen, Germany
Island, Ramp Gallery, London
The Flat Files, The Pit, Glendale, California
Somebody Told Me You People Were Crazy, Hathaway Gallery, Atlanta

2018
Above The Rim, Contemporary Art Museum, Raleigh, North Carolina
Mixed Emotions, Various Small Fires Gallery, Los Angeles
The Unseen, James Fuentes Gallery, New York
Cosmic Traffic Jam, Zevitas Marcus Gallery, Los Angeles
Hand-Eye Coordination: Sports and Art, Western Exhibitions, Chicago

2017
Figured Out! Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago
Council, Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago

2016
Alex Becerra, David Leggett, William J. O’Brien, Kimmerich Gallery, Berlin
Death: A Summer Show, Trestle Projects, Brooklyn
Chicago and Vicinity, Shane Campbell Gallery, Chicago

2015
Three the hard way, Reva and David Logan Center for the Arts, University of Chicago

2014
Ducks, Greenpoint Terminal Gallery, Brooklyn
Now Chicago! The Hughes Gallery, Sydney
Poems in a Room, Magic Pictures, Philadelphia

2013
Recess, South Side Community Art Center, Chicago
Thru-Lines, 65 Grand Gallery, Chicago
Whisper Down the Lane, Gallery 400, Chicago
(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man, Tracy Williams Ltd., New York
Squirts: April Childers, David Leggett, Max Maslansky, Regina Rex, Queens

2012
Romancing the Tone, Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
Afterimage, DePaul Art Museum, Chicago
Where My Clone At?, Double Break, San Diego
Where My Clone At? 2, POVevolving Fine Art Printing Studio, Los Angeles
Blaque Lyte, ADA Gallery, Richmond, Virginia

2011
Museum as Hub: Alpha’s bet is not over yet! The New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York
Kodra 11 Contemporary Art Festival, Thessaloniki, Greece
Is this thing on? Cobalt Studio, Chicago
People Don’t Like to Read Art, Western Exhibitions, Chicago
The MDW Fair, The Geolofts, Chicago
West, Wester, Westest Pt. 2, Fecal Face Dot Gallery, San Francisco
Futuro Perfecto, Zora Space, Brooklyn
Drop it like it’s not, Murder Town Gallery, Chicago
Psycha-Bobble, High Concept Laboratories, Chicago
Skowhegan Alumni Exhibition, 92Y Tribeca, New York
Heads on Poles, Western Exhibitions, Chicago

2010
Ah, Wilderness!, Ebermoore Gallery, Chicago
SK10-New works from the Skowhegan School of Painting and SculptureClass of 2010, Tompkins Projects, Brooklyn

2008
Disinhibition: Black Art Blue Humor, Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago
Re:visions, Zolla Lieberman Gallery, Chicago

Grants, Residencies and Awards
2022
Bed-Stuy Art Residency, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn

2018
Joan Mitchell Center Residency, 3Arts Fellow, New Orleans

2014
University of Chicago, Arts and Public Life, Artist in Residence

2013
Robert Rauschenberg Residency, 3Arts Fellow, Captiva, Florida
Maker Grant Runner-Up, Chicago,

2010
Fellowship Award, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture
The Drawing Center Viewing Program

2009
Visual Artist Award, 3Arts, Chicago

2005
Trustee Scholarship, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Fellowship Award, School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Bibliography
2019
Moreira-Brown, Caira. “Transcendent Humor: A Review of David Leggett at Shane Campbell Gallery,” Newcity Art, June 24
Buchanan, Mary Lynn. “David Leggett Studio Visit,” Mary Lynn Buchanan Blog, February 15

2018
Nimptsch, Emily. “David Leggett and Ryan Richey: Mixed Emotions,” Riot Material, July 31
Caldwell, Ellen C. “Detouring Through Art, History & In Cosmic Traffic Jam,” Riot Material, August 17

2017
New American Paintings, Midwest, Issue #131, August/September
Cardoza, Kerry. “David Leggett has the last laugh,” Chicago Reader, June 28
Carney, Sean J. Patrick. “First Look,” Art in America, June
Cardoza, Kerry. “Tough Love with a Glint of Humor,” Newcity Art, April 20
Burns, Emily. “Q&A with David Leggett,” Maake Magazine

2016
Sargent, Antwaun. “An exhibit takes aim at art history, race, and Drake,” Vice Berlant, Lauren. “Comedy is a great way to break the news: A conversation with David Leggett,” Critical Inquiry
Petty, Felix. “David Leggett is the dark, comic art star of underground Chicago,” Vice
Sierzputowski, Kate. “David Leggett’s User Generated Satire,” Inside/Within

2015
Ungur, Laura. “Dry Magazine Artist Interview,” Dry Magazine

2014
Forrest, Nicholas. “‘Now Chicago!’ at The Hughes Gallery, Sydney,” Blouin Artinfo

2013
Ise, Claudine. “A New style of art communication,” The Chicago Tribune
Eler, Alicia. “A Midsummer Group Show Dream,” Hyperallergic
Perry, Eve. “Not Taking the 1990’s Very Seriously,” Hyperallergic
Scott, Andrea. “(I’m Your) Hoochie Coochie Man,” The New Yorker

2012
Langbein, Julia. “Critic’s Pick: ‘After Image’ at DePaul University Museum,” ArtForum
Jackson, Danielle. “Cotton Candy Sweet as Gold: A Conversation with David Leggett,” Sixty Inches From Center
Yeapanis, Stacia. “Other Peoples Pixels Interviews David Leggett,” Other Peoples Pixels Blog
Bellware, Kimberly. “Coco River Fudge Street,” The Chicagoist
Ritchie, Abraham. “It’s getting to the point where nobody respects the dead. Fresh to death at Western Exhibitions. Now That’s Fresh,” Art Slant
Ritchie, Abraham. “Coco River Fudge Street,” Flavorpill
Ritchie, Abraham. “Rackroom Interview,” Art Slant
Glass, Claire. “Portrait of the Artist: David Leggett,” Newcity Art
Beautiful/Decay Book: 7, Class Clowns

2011
Weinberg, Lauren. “‘People Don’t Like To Read Art’ at Western Exhibitions: John Parot, Deb Sokolow and other artists make text sexy,” Time Out Chicago
Ritchie, Abraham. “People Don’t Like to Read Art at Western Exhibitions,” Art Slant
Ritchie, Abraham. “Heads on Poles at Western Exhibitions,” Art Slant

2010 “Interview: David Leggett,” Black Visual Archive
Ritchie, Abraham. “Chicago’s Best of 2010 Pick: ‘Up for the Down Stroke’ at 65 Grand,” Art Slant
Schmidt, Shannon. “David Leggett at 65GRAND,” Chicago Art Magazine
“Up for the Down Stroke at 65 Grand Gallery,” Daily Serving
“Up for the Down Stroke at 65 Grand Gallery,” Beautiful Decay

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