VOWI X Levi De Jong
“Through material-driven abstraction and iconographic subversion, I use blue-collar materials to rework familiar symbols, all of which are deeply rooted in nationalism, religion, and cultural identity. In doing so, my work reveals a truer representation of American life—one shaped by labor, resilience, and contradiction.” –Levi De Jong
Levi De Jong (b. 1997, Dallas, Texas) is an American sculptor and painter whose work merges classical techniques with contemporary abstraction to interrogate themes of identity, transformation, and cultural narratives. Raised in the rural Midwest and now based in New York City, De Jong’s practice draws on his training in traditional European methodologies and his intimate engagement with American iconography.
De Jong earned his Master’s degree in Sculpture from the Royal College of Art, London, following his formative studies at the Florence University of the Arts, Italy, where he was mentored by classically trained painters, sculptors, and artisans. While rooted in the Florentine tradition, his work departs from convention through the use of recycled materials sourced from rural America, reflecting his upbringing and engaging with broader cultural and political contexts.
Influenced by the Italian Arte Povera movement and expressionist ideologies, De Jong’s sculptures explore dualities such as innocence and destruction, freedom and oppression, life and death.
His work has been exhibited internationally, including The Brant Foundation in New York City, the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo, and the ZKM Center for Art and Media in Germany. These exhibitions highlight his evolving exploration of the intersection between materiality and cultural narratives. (Levi De Jong website)
