Samuel Guy

Samuel Guy (b.1991) is an artist and educator based in Brooklyn, NY. Through prolonged observational paintings he explores the multifaceted nature of the self, its murkiness, its chance quality and its socially buttressed construction. Through costuming and a deep relationship to the history of portrait painting he re-presents himself in various forms. The chameleon nature of these self portraits positions the artist as both real and potential, blurring those distinctions and positioning the image of the individual as within a larger cultural context. Often reflections on manhood, these paintings interrogate how it is performed, engaging with the imagery in complicated ways, ranging from the satirical and ironic, to the honorific, and even funerary. He has presented his work nationally, including recent solo and two-person exhibitions Stages Of Presence at Vardan Gallery, LA with Jenny Brillhart (2025), Hitchhike From Saginaw at Auxier Kline, NY (2025) Bildungsroman at Vardan Gallery, LA (2023) and A Distant Mirror at Auxier Kline, NY (2022). Guy has received numerous awards and fellowships including from the Constance Saltonstall Foundation, Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation, and Colman Foundation. Guy is featured in New American Paintings Issue No. 165. A three person upcoming show can be found here. Samuel Guy, "Hobo’s Lullaby", Oil on panel, 10 ¾ x 8 ¾ x 1 ¾ inches, 2025 Samuel Guy, "A Prairie Home Companion", Oil on panel, 19 ¾ x 14 ¼ x 1 ¾ inches, 2025 Samuel Guy, "Axe", Oil on panel, 19 ¼ x 4 ½ x 1 ¾ inches, 2025