Ealy Mays facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ealy H. Mays
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Ealy Mays in Paris.
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Ealy Horton Mays
January 15, 1959 Wichita Falls, Texas
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| Nationality | American |
| Known for | visual artist, painting, drawing |
Ealy Mays, born on January 15, 1959, is an American artist who lives in Paris. He creates modern art. His paintings have been shown in famous places. These include the Galeria Clave in Mexico, the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, and the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
A famous African-American painter, Henry O. Tanner, was the first to show his art at the Louvre in 1897. Ealy Mays also showed his work there in 2005. His exhibition was called "Migration of the Superheroes." This makes him one of the few African-American artists to follow Tanner's path to the Louvre.
Mays looks up to many great artists. Some of his mentors include Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, Diego Rivera, and José Clemente Orozco. He has lived in Paris for over 15 years. He often stays at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris. He also studied at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine.
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About Ealy Mays's Art Journey
In 1996, a newspaper article called Ealy Mays a "Pure Painter." At that time, Mays was 37 years old. He was from Dayton, Ohio, and had studied at Fairview High School. He was also a medical student. He received a special scholarship for African-American artists. This was after he finished his art program in Maine. He was taking a break from medical school in Mexico.
Mays talked about how the artist Maxfield Parrish influenced his work. He also shared his admiration for Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence was a legendary African-American artist. Lawrence even told Mays that he was a "pure painter."
Growing Up and Early Life
Ealy Mays was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. His father, Dr. Dewey Mays, was a doctor. His mother, Mrs. Ruby Mays, was a school teacher. The family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where Ealy grew up. His parents chose Dayton because it had many jobs in the 1960s. They felt it was a great place to raise a family.
In 1998, Mays painted "Death of an American Boom Town (Dayton Ohio)." This painting shows how the quality of life in his old hometown changed. It reflects the economic decline of industrial cities in the Midwest.
College and Art Studies
After high school, Mays went to Wiley College in Texas. He then decided to study medicine, like his father. But art was always his true passion. He chose to study medicine in Mexico. He believed he could also follow his love for art there. In 1985, he was accepted to study medicine at the Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara.
Time in Mexico
While in Mexico, Ealy Mays met the famous Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo. Tamayo noticed Mays's art and became his mentor. Mays says that Tamayo inspired his unique watermelon paintings. Tamayo painted red watermelons. Mays, however, became known for his blue watermelons.
Mays also learned about the works of famous Mexican muralists. These included José Clemente Orozco and Diego Rivera. He was very impressed by their large paintings and murals. These artists greatly influenced Mays's own work. He often took part in the yearly José Clemente Orozco Art competition.
Mays also had exhibitions in Mexico at other places. These included shows in Guadalajara and at Mexico's Galeria Clave.
Mays's art in Mexico often showed Mexican themes and characters. He paid tribute to Mexican culture. For example, he painted about Lucha Libre, which is Mexican wrestling. He also painted about “Día de los Muertos” (Day of the Dead). This is a Mexican holiday to remember loved ones who have passed away. His painting "The Dead Dance" shows skeletons celebrating. His painting “Last Train to Chihuahua” shows a train from the time of the Mexican Revolution. It was widely featured in local newspapers.
Another work, “The Birth of The Mestizo,” combines old Mexican Aztec culture with the arrival of the Conquistadores. It shows how modern Mexico was formed. It includes the image of an eagle on a cactus eating a snake. This image is still part of the Coat of arms of Mexico today.
Studying with Jacob Lawrence
After returning from Mexico, Ealy Mays was accepted into an art program. This was at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. He still feels this time was very important in his life. Other artists there included Anish Kapoor and Nan Goldin. Jacob Lawrence was also there. Lawrence became Mays's friend and mentor. He even wrote a letter of recommendation for Mays to the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Living and Working in Paris
Ealy Mays moved to Paris shortly after leaving the Skowhegan School in 1996. He followed in the footsteps of many other African-American artists. People like Henry O. Tanner and Josephine Baker also chose to live in Paris. Mays believed Paris would be a good place for his art. He felt he could work freely there without judgment. Paris was also home to some of his mentors from an earlier generation.
Mays continues to show his art in the United States. But he chose to live in Paris since the late 1990s. He had already shown his work in the US, including at the Guggenheim Museum. However, he credits Paris with helping him gain international recognition. His art has been shown in Paris, France, Italy, Finland, Germany, Russia, Austria, and even back in the United States.
Past Exhibitions and Features
In 2009, The New York Times wrote about Ealy Mays. He was featured in an exhibition about Barack Obama. The article described his black-and-white painting. It showed a black soldier and a white man with an Obama T-shirt. They were among many zombie-like Wall Street workers.
In 2011, The Washington Post featured Mays. He was highlighted for his hobby of preserving the history of African-American artists in Paris.
In 2012, Mays's painting "Mona Lisa Likes Pancakes" was featured in a magazine. It was part of a collection owned by Reginald Van Lee, a famous supporter of the arts. Mays also exhibited at the Contemporary Art Fair in New York in 2012. Parisian newspapers like Le Monde and Le Figaro have also featured his work.
Current Art and Themes
Ealy Mays creates visual art that tells modern and historical stories. He often includes ethnic, political, and funny details. He honors artists who came before him. He also acts as a social critic of his time. For example, "Cleaning Out Picasso's Studio" shows how African art influenced the famous painter Picasso. "Le Garçon" is a tribute to Paris. It shows a busy Parisian waiter early in the morning.
Mays also creates submarine art installations. These include "The Russian Sub" and "The Kursk." "The Kursk" honors the sailors of the Kursk submarine that sank.
Mays's art is shown in American exhibitions. These include the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland. His painting “The Last Vernissage” is also featured in a traveling art exhibition from Rice University. This exhibition includes works by other famous African-American artists.
His works "Death of an American Boom Town," "Submarine of Radicals," and "Uptown Ice Cream" were featured in an international ebook. This book was a tribute project by artists around the world.
In 2021, Ealy Mays got a piece of the red carpet. This carpet was used when Josephine Baker was honored at the Panthéon in France. By 2023, he had created a collection of paintings of Baker. He painted these images on the very same red carpet. They show Baker at the peak of her fame.
Images for kids
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Death of an American Boom Town
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Last Train to Chihuahua
