Es Devlin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Es Devlin CBE RDI
Devlin in 2016
Born	Esmeralda Devlin (1971-09-24) 24 September 1971 (age 53) Kingston upon Thames, London, England
Education	Central Saint Martins Bristol University (BA) Motley Theatre Design Course
Occupation	Artist and designer
Spouse(s)	Jack Galloway
Children	2
Awards	3 Olivier Awards 1 Tony Award Royal Designer for Industry

Esmeralda Devlin CBE RDI (born 24 September 1971) is a famous English artist and designer. She creates amazing stage designs and art installations. Her work often uses light and projected films on moving sculptures.

Es Devlin has won many important awards. These include a Tony Award and two Olivier Awards for her theatre designs. She also received special honors from Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to design. In 2013, the BBC named her one of their 100 inspiring women.

She is well-known for her many theatre projects. For her work in London's West End, she won two Olivier Awards for Best Set Design. These were for the plays Chimerica (2014) and The Nether (2015). On Broadway, she won a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design of a Play for The Lehman Trilogy (2022).

Early Life and Schooling

Es Devlin was born in Kingston upon Thames, London. Her birthday is on September 24, 1971. She went to Cranbrook School, Kent when she was younger.

She later studied English literature at Bristol University. After that, she took an art course at Central Saint Martins. She decided to focus on designing for the theatre. While studying, she helped with props for a circus company called Le Cirque Invisible.

Creative Career Highlights

Es Devlin started her career designing for plays and operas. Her early work was at London's Bush Theatre. In 1998, she designed a set for the Royal National Theatre. This was a big step in her career. She quickly became known for her unique and sculptural stage designs.

In 2003, she began designing for music concerts. Her first concert project was with the band Wire. In 2005, Kanye West hired her to design his "Touch the Sky" tour. This led to many more collaborations with him.

Es Devlin also designed for major global events. She created scenic elements for the closing ceremony of the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Four years later, in 2016, she designed the set for the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio.

Her art installations also became very popular. In 2016, her "Mirrormaze" installation in Peckham attracted many visitors. In 2017, she designed the "Singing Tree" at the Victoria and Albert Museum. This interactive art piece used machine learning.

In 2018, Devlin created the "Fifth Lion" in Trafalgar Square. This installation roared poetry created by artificial intelligence. It was a highlight of the London Design Festival. She also worked with a physicist on a performance called "The Order of Time."

In 2019, Es Devlin gave a popular talk at the TED Conference. It was about her "Mind-blowing sculptures that fuse art & technology." She also designed the play The Hunt.

Her work expanded to international projects. She designed the UK Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai. She was the first woman to get this important job since 1851.

In 2021, she won an Ivor Novello Award for a song she worked on with rapper Dave. She also helped design the Brit Awards trophies.

In 2022, Devlin's work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show earned her three Emmy Awards. This included an Emmy for Best Production Design. Her design for Adele's performance at Griffith Observatory also won five Emmy Awards.

Throughout her career, Es Devlin has designed for many famous artists. These include Beyoncé, Adele, U2, and The Weeknd. She has also worked with major places like the Royal Opera House in London.

Design Style

Es Devlin's designs are known for being very creative. For example, her Poem Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai was special. It had a glowing "message to space" that visitors could add to.

She uses simple materials like plastic trees and mirrored sheets. She builds "dream-like" scenes where the art happens "between those objects."

A writer from The New Yorker said her designs are more than just scenery. They "glow with significance." A director she worked with said Es Devlin designs what a play "needs," not just what it "wants."

Awards and Recognition

• 2006: Olivier Awards for Best Costume Design for The Dog in the Manger
• 2014-2015: Olivier Awards for Best Set Design for Chimerica (2014) and The Nether (2015)
• 2015: Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
• 2018: Royal Designer for Industry for Theatre Design
• 2022: Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to design

Es Devlin is also featured in the Netflix show Abstract: The Art of Design.

Work Projects

Theatre Designs

Television Projects

Concert Designs

Fashion Collaborations

Publications

Exhibitions

Personal Life

Es Devlin is married to Jack Galloway, who is a costume designer for theatre. They have two children and live in London. Her husband works on The Lion King Musical.

See also

In Spanish: Es Devlin para niños