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 January 15, 1959) is an African-American artist who lives in Paris. He creates modern art. His artwork has been shown in many places. These include the Galeria Clave in Mexico and the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. His art has also been seen at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Ealy Mays is one of the few African-American artists to show his work at the Louvre. The famous painter Henry O. Tanner was the first to do so in 1897. Mays' 2005 show, "Migration of the Superheroes," followed in Tanner's footsteps.
Mays looks up to many great artists. Some of them are Jacob Lawrence, Jackson Pollock, Diego Rivera, and Franz Kline. 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' Life
In 1996, an article called "A Pure Painter" talked about Ealy Mays. He was 37 years old and from Dayton, Ohio. He had finished high school there. At the time, he was a medical student. He also received a special scholarship for African-American artists. This was after he studied art at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture.
Mays shared how artist Maxfield Parrish influenced his work. He also loved the art of Jacob Lawrence. Lawrence inspired him to apply to the Skowhegan program. Jacob Lawrence even called Mays a "pure painter."
Growing Up in Ohio
Ealy Mays was born in Wichita Falls, Texas. His father, Dr. Dewey Mays, was a doctor. His mother, Mrs. Ruby Mays, was a teacher. His family moved to Dayton, Ohio, where he grew up. They moved there after his father finished medical school.
Mays said his parents chose Dayton because it was a good place to live. It had many factories back then. His 1998 painting, "Death of an American Boom Town (Dayton Ohio)," shows the city's economic struggles.
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 still his main passion. He chose to study medicine in Mexico. He felt he could also follow his art dreams there. In 1985, he was accepted to study medicine at Universidad Autónoma de Guadalajara.
Time in Mexico
While in Mexico, Ealy Mays met the famous Mexican painter Rufino Tamayo. Tamayo noticed Mays' art and became his mentor. Mays says Tamayo inspired his famous watermelon paintings. Tamayo painted red watermelons. Mays made blue watermelons his own unique style.
Mays also learned about the work of Mexican muralists. These were artists who painted huge pictures on walls. José Clemente Orozco and Diego Riviera greatly impressed him. Their art had a big impact on Mays' own work. He often took part in the yearly José Clemente Orozco Art competition. He also had shows in Mexico at Galeria Clava.
Mays' time in Mexico led him to create art with Mexican themes. He showed Mexican culture in his paintings. This included "Lucha Libre" (free-wrestling) and "Día de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead). This holiday honors 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 featured in local newspapers. "The Birth of The Mestizo" combines old Mexican Aztec culture with the arrival of the Conquistadores. It shows the eagle on a cactus eating a snake. This image is still part of the Coat of arms of Mexico today.
Skowhegan and Jacob Lawrence
After Mexico, Ealy Mays was accepted into a special art program. It was at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture in Maine. He felt this was a very important time in his life. Other artists there included Anish Kapoor and Nan Goldin. Jacob Lawrence was also there. Lawrence became Mays' friend and mentor. He even wrote a letter of recommendation for Mays to the Studio Museum in Harlem.
Life in Paris
Ealy Mays moved to Paris in 1996. He followed other African-American artists and thinkers. Many had chosen Paris for study or to live abroad since the 1800s. Mays believed Paris would be a good place for his art. He felt he would not face unfair treatment there. The city was also home to some of his mentors, like Edward Clark (artist).
Mays still shows 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. But he says Paris helped him gain worldwide recognition. His art has been shown in France, Italy, Finland, Germany, Russia, and Austria.
Art Shows and Features
In 2009, a New York Times article mentioned Ealy Mays. It was about an art show in Paris related to Barack Obama. The article described Mays' 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, a Washington Post article featured Mays. It talked about his hobby of studying local history. He works to preserve the stories of African-American artists and thinkers in Paris.
In 2012, Mays' painting "Mona Lisa Likes Pancakes" was featured. It was in Modern Luxury DC Magazine. This painting was part of a collection owned by Reginald Van Lee, who supports the arts.
Mays also showed his art at the Contemporary Art Fair in New York in 2012. His work often appears in Parisian newspapers. In 2008, Le Monde featured his submarine artwork. Le Figaro covered his Barack Obama-themed gallery show.
Current Artworks
Ealy Mays creates visual art that tells modern and historical stories. He adds ethnic, political, and funny details to his work. He honors artists who came before him. He also uses his art to comment on society today.
"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 in the morning. Mays also creates submarine art. "The Russian Sub" and "The Kursk" show Russian culture. "The Kursk" honors the sailors of the Kursk submarine.
Mays' art is shown in American exhibits. These include the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland. His painting "The Last Vernissage" is featured in a traveling art show from Rice University. It is shown alongside works by artists like Romare Bearden and Henry O. Tanner.
His works "Death of an American Boom Town," "Submarine of Radicals," and "Uptown Ice Cream" were in an international ebook. This book was a tribute project by artists around the world.
In 2012, Ealy Mays was also featured in The Artist Showcase magazine. This edition also showed the works of Nelson Mandela.
In 2021, Ealy Mays got the red carpet used for Josephine Baker's induction into the Panthéon. By 2023, he had created a collection of paintings of Baker. He painted these images on the very same red carpet.
Images for kids
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Ealy Mays in Paris.
