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Es Devlin

Esmeralda Devlin CBE RDI (/ɛz/; born 24 September 1971[1]) is an English artist and stage designer[2] who works in a range of media, often mapping light and projected film onto kinetic sculptural forms.[3][4] She has received several accolades including a Tony Award and two Olivier Awards.[5] She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2015 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 by Queen Elizabeth II for services to design. She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2013.[6]

Es Devlin
CBE RDI
Devlin in 2016
Born
Esmeralda Devlin

(1971-09-24) 24 September 1971 (age 53)
Kingston upon Thames, London, England
Education
Occupation(s)Artist and designer
SpouseJack Galloway
Children2
Awards
Websiteesdevlin.com

Devlin is known for her extensive work in the theatre. For her work in the West End she won two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Set Design for Chimerica (2014), and The Nether (2015). She was Olivier-nominated for Hamlet (2016), The Lehman Trilogy (2019), and Dear England (2024). For her work on Broadway she won the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy (2022). She was Tony-nominated for Machinal (2014), and American Psycho (2016). She is also known for her The Hunt (2019) and The Motive and the Cue (2023).

Early life and education

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Devlin was born in Kingston upon Thames, London, on 24 September 1971.[1][7] She attended Cranbrook School, Kent.[8]

She studied English literature at Bristol University, followed by a Foundation Course in Fine Art at Central St. Martin's eventually specialising in theatre design.[9] While undertaking her studies, she prepared the props for Le Cirque Invisible, the circus company founded by Victoria Chaplin and Chaplin's husband, Jean-Baptiste Thierrée.[9]

Career

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Es Devlin's career began in narrative theatre[10] and experimental opera,[11][12] with early work at London's Bush Theatre. In 1998, she made her National Theatre debut when Trevor Nunn invited her to design the set for Harold Pinter’s Betrayal. Since then, Devlin has gained a reputation for her sculptural and innovative designs for the stage.[13][14]

In 2003, she ventured into concert design with her first collaboration, working with the band Wire.[15] In 2005, Kanye West hired her to design his Touch the Sky tour, marking the start of a long-term collaboration, which continued with his Glow in the Dark and Watch the Throne tours.[15]

In 2012, Devlin designed the scenic elements for the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. Four years later, in 2016, she created the set design for the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics.[16]

Her work on installations also began gaining attention, with her 2016 installation Mirrormaze in Peckham drawing large crowds. In 2017, she designed the Singing Tree at the Victoria and Albert Museum, an interactive machine-learning-based installation, viewed by over 10,000 visitors during Christmas.[17] That same year, she created Room2022, a 7,000 square-foot installation at Art Basel Miami.[18]

In 2018, Devlin's Fifth Lion installation in Trafalgar Square, which roared AI-generated poetry to crowds, was a highlight of the London Design Festival.[19] Also in 2018, she collaborated with theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on a performance of The Order of Time, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch at BOLD Tendencies in Peckham. Later that year, she designed MASK, a projection-mapped model city displayed at Somerset House.[20][21]

In 2019, Devlin delivered a talk at the TED Conference in Vancouver titled Mind-blowing sculptures that fuse art & technology, which was selected by TED curator Chris Anderson as one of the best talks of the year.[22] She also worked on The Hunt, a play directed by Rupert Goold, which premiered in London and transferred to St. Ann’s Warehouse in New York in 2024.[23][24]

Devlin’s career took on international projects, including designing the UK Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai,[25] making her the first woman to receive such a commission since the inception of world expositions in 1851.[26]

In 2021, her collaboration with rapper Dave and producer Fraser T. Smith won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.[27] She also co-designed the Brit Awards statuettes with artist Yinka Ilori.[28]

In 2022, Devlin’s work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show, featuring Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem, earned her three Emmy Awards, including one for Best Production Design. That same year, her scenic design for Adele's performance at Griffith Observatory won five additional Emmy Awards. [29]Her scenic design for The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, won her the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design.[29]

Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including Beyoncé, Adele, U2, The Weeknd, Lorde, and Pet Shop Boys and worked with institutions such as the Royal Opera House in London.[30]

Style

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The Poem Pavilion she designed at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai[10][11] - following the UK's theme "Innovating for a Shared Future" - featured an illuminated "message to space" to which each of the Expo's million visitors would be invited to contribute.[12]

Using plastic trees, sellotape, stretchy mirrored sheeting, string, she builds "dream-like constellation of things" explaining that “the piece happens between those objects,” [13]

"Each of her designs is an attack on the notion that a set is merely scenery" wrote Andrew O'Hagan in The New Yorker in 2016. Devlin "is in demand because she can enter the psychic ether of each production and make it glow with significance."[9] For Hamlet director Lyndsey Turner, Devlin “doesn’t design what a play wants but what it needs.”[13]

Recognition

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Devlin is the subject of episode three of the Netflix documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design.[32]

Work

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Theatre

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Year Project Credit Venue Ref.
1999 Howie the Rookie Scenic Design Bush Theatre, London [33]
2001 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Scenic Design / Costume Design Ambassador's Theatre, West End [34]
2003 American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [20]
2013 Chimerica Scenic Designer Almeida Theatre, West End [21]
2014 Machinal Set Design American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [35]
2014 The Nether Scenic Designer Royal Court Theatre, London [36]
2014 American Psycho Scenic Design Almeida Theatre, West End [37]
2016 Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway [38]
2015 Hamlet Scenic Designer Barbican Theatre, West End [27]
2018 Aristocrats Scenic Designer Donmar Warehouse, West End [28]
2018 Girls & Boys Set Designer The Royal Court Theatre, London [22]
Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway [23]
2018 The Lehman Trilogy Scenic Design Lyttelton Theatre, West End [24]
2021 Nederlander Theatre, Broadway [29]
2019 The Hunt Scenic Design Almeida Theatre, West End [39]
2024 St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn [40]
2023 The Crucible Scenic Designer Olivier Theatre, West End [41]
2023 Dear England Scenic Designer Olivier Theatre, West End [42]
2023 The Motive and the Cue Scenic Designer Lyttelton Theatre, West End [43]
2024 Noël Coward Theatre, West End [44]
2024 Coriolanus Scenic Designer Olivier Theatre [45]

Television

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Year Project Credit Notes
2008 Salome Production designer Television movie
2014 Julie Taymor's A Midsummer Night's Dream Television movie
2015 Hamlet Television movie
2015 Adele Live in London Television special
Adele Live in New York City Television special
2018 The 60th Annual Grammy Awards Creative director Television special
2021 Adele One Night Only Production designer Television special
2022 The Pepsi Super Bowl LVI Halftime Show Creative director Television special
2023 The Weekend Live at SoFi Stadium Production designer Television special
2023 The Crucible Set Decorator National Theatre Live special

Concert

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Year[30] Project Artist
2003 Flag: Burning Wire
2005 Touch the Sky Kanye West
2009 VH1 STORYTELLERS Kanye West
2009-2010 Monster Ball US Theatre Tour Lady Gaga
The Resistance Tour Muse
2010 Madrid MTV Europe Music Awards
2011 World Arena Tour Batman Live
Watch The Throne Arena Tour Kanye West & Jay-Z
Progress Stadium Tour Take That
Revel Theatre Kanye West
2013 Hyde Park Rolling Stones
Electric Tour Pet Shop Boys
Yeezus Kanye West
2014 Bangerz World Arena Tour Milly Cyrus
2015 Innocence & Experience World Tour U2
Live in New York Adele
2016 Jimmy Fallon The Weeknd
World Arena Tour Adele
AMAS The Weeknd
Formation World Stadium Tour Beyoncé
2017 Legend of the Fall Tour The Weeknd
GLASTONBURY Lorde
2018 Brit Awards Stormzy
Experience + Innocence Tour U2
Coachella The Weeknd
2021 ONE NIGHT ONLY Adele
2022 Superbowl Half Time Show DR DRE with Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Mary J Blige, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent
After Hours til Dawn The Weeknd
2023 After Hours til Dawn The Weeknd
Renaissance - World Tour Beyoncé
The Sphere U2

Fashion

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Year[46] Collaboration Season Notes
2015 Louis Vuitton SS
Series 2
AW
2016 SS
Series 3
AW
Cruise
2020 AW
2021 Chanel Celebration
2022 Dior SS Men
2023 YSL SS Men

Publication

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Year Name Publisher Notes
2023 An Atlas of Es Devlin[47] Thames & Hudson

Exhibition

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Year Name Location Notes
2023 An Atlas of Es Devlin[48] Cooper Hewitt Museum

Accolades

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2014 Laurence Olivier Award Best Set Design Chimerica Won [49]
2015 The Nether Won [50]
2016 Hamlet Nominated [51]
2019 The Lehman Trilogy Nominated [52]
2024 Dear England Nominated [53]
2014 Tony Award Best Scenic Design of a Play Machinal Nominated [54]
2016 Best Scenic Design of a Musical American Psycho Nominated [55]
2022 Best Scenic Design of a Play The Lehman Trilogy Won [56]

Personal life

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Devlin is married to the theatrical costume designer Jack Galloway; they have two children and live in London.[57] Her husband works on The Lion King Musical franchise.[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b Nayeri, Farah (1 December 2020). "Es Devlin Takes a Turn at Center Stage". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 30 April 2021.
  2. ^ Acharya, Dipal (6 September 2018). "My London: Es Devlin". London Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  3. ^ Polianskaya, Alina (11 September 2018). "5 installations to catch at London Design Festival". Design Week.
  4. ^ Staff, Adweek (10 June 2018). "11 Visual Artist Who Enlighten, Inspire and Bring the Impossible to Life". AdWeek.
  5. ^ Fishwick, Samuel (19 September 2016). "Es Devlin on working with Kanye West and Beyonce, and creating her first solo exhibition". The Evening Standard.
  6. ^ "100 Women: Who took part?". BBC News. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 18 December 2022.
  7. ^ Barnett, Laura (9 July 2013). "Es Devlin, set and costume designer – portrait of the artist". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  8. ^ The Stage Thursday 16 March 2000, page 30
  9. ^ a b c O'Hagan, Andrew (28 March 2016). "Imaginary Spaces". The New Yorker. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  10. ^ a b "Es Devlin OBE to design UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai". gov.uk. 27 September 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Es Devlin to design interactive Poem Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020". Dezeen. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  12. ^ a b Walsh, Niall Patrick (27 September 2018). "Es Devlin to Design the UK'S "Poem Pavilion" for Dubai Expo 2020". ArchDaily.
  13. ^ a b c d Fishwick, Samuel (22 September 2016). "Es Devlin: 'I'm aware of forces bigger than me'". Evening Standard. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  14. ^ a b "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N12.
  15. ^ a b TOURIST, THE GRAND (14 February 2024). "Es Devlin: All the World's a Stage • The Grand Tourist". The Grand Tourist. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  16. ^ Wroe, Nicholas (29 June 2012). "The designer going from Gaga to the Olympic closing ceremony". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  17. ^ "Scent-infused mirror maze by Es Devlin fills south London warehouse". Dezeen. 21 September 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  18. ^ "American Express Platinum:ROOM 2022". RadicalMedia®. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  19. ^ a b "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N9.
  20. ^ a b "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Broadway, 2003)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  21. ^ a b "Chimerica (2013)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  22. ^ a b "Girls & Boys". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  23. ^ a b "Girls & Boys (New York, 2018)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  24. ^ a b "The Lehman Trilogy (2018)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  25. ^ a b "The Royal Designers for Industry 2018 have been revealed". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  26. ^ a b "UAL talents Es Devlin OBE and Ben Terrett elected Royal Designers for Industry". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  27. ^ a b "Hamlet (2015)". Abouttheartist. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Aristocrats". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  29. ^ a b c "The Lehman Trilogy (Broadway, 2021)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Es Devlin". Es Devlin. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  31. ^ McLaughlin, Aimée (6 February 2018). "5 talks to catch at Design Indaba 2018". Design Week.
  32. ^ "Netflix launches new documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design with a stellar lineup". itsnicethat.com. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  33. ^ "Howie the Rookie (1999)". abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  34. ^ "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2001)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  35. ^ "Machinal (Broadway, 2014)". March 18, 2024.
  36. ^ "The Nether (2014)". Abottheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  37. ^ "American Psycho (2014)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  38. ^ "American Psycho (Broadway, 2016)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  39. ^ "The Hunt (2019, London)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  40. ^ "St. Ann's Warehouse offers US premiere of 'The Hunt'". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  41. ^ "Es Devlin's The Crucible set features cyclical rain installation to symbolise "chaos"". Dezeen. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  42. ^ "Dear England". esdevlin. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  43. ^ "The Motive and the Cue (London, 2023)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  44. ^ "The Motive and the Cue". National Theatre. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  45. ^ https://www.timeout.com/london/theatre/coriolanus-4-review
  46. ^ "Es Devlin". Es Devlin. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  47. ^ "An Atlas of Es Devlin". Thames & Hudson USA. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  48. ^ "An Atlas of Es Devlin: A Creative Curriculum | Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum". www.cooperhewitt.org. 6 November 2023. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  49. ^ "Olivier awards 2014 – full nominations". TheGuardian.com. 10 March 2014.
  50. ^ "Olivier awards 2015 – full list of winners". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  51. ^ "Olivier Awards: The 2016 Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  52. ^ "2019 Olivier Award Nominations: London's Company and Come From Away Lead the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  53. ^ "Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Snook, David Tennant Score Olivier Awards Nominations — Full List". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  54. ^ "2014 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  55. ^ "2016 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  56. ^ "2022 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  57. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice (18 September 2018). "How Beyoncé's Set Designer Created the Same Magic In a London House". W Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
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