In the Galleries: Shungaboy

Shungaboy has been drawing and painting since childhood. After a career as an architect, he started focusing on his art about 10 years ago. He volunteered as an archivist at the Leslie-Lohman Gay Art Foundation (now the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art) in NYC to see firsthand the work of other male figurative artists. At the same time, he started attending the erotic male drawing group at Leslie-Lohman. He has attended the Tom of Finland Life Drawing Workshop, the Colorado Gay Men's Drawing Group, and Pines Nude Drawing in Fire Island Pines, N.Y. More recently, he has been attending the Sketch Sessions at the Vitruvian Gallery in Washington D.C. He works mostly in drawing groups and enjoys the camaraderie they provide. He lives in New York City. For more information visit shungaboy.com.

"I often feel oppressed, restricted, even persecuted by society just for who I am, a gay man and an Asian one at that," Shungaboy states. "Why are male nudes so taboo? I want people to see that the male body is beautiful and not scary or something to be ashamed of; I use bright colors because that's how I want to see the world and so people who look at my paintings can begin to see beyond the nudity."

SHUNGABOY, the DC Paintings and Other Works
Exhibition dates: October 26 - November 16, 2013
Opening reception: October 26, 6-9 pm
Vitruvian Gallery, 734 7th Street 2nd floor, SE, Washington DC 20003

About the Vitruvian Gallery
The Vitruvian Gallery is the first art space in Washington D.C. dedicated solely to male figurative art. Established in 2011, it has exhibited the work of nationally known as well as emerging local artists. It hosts the Vitruvian Drawing Group and Naked Drawing Group, both figure drawing sketch sessions exclusively featuring male models.