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==Career==
==Career==
Her practice began in narrative theatre<ref name="CNN">{{cite web |title=The transformative and magical power of Es Devlin's stage design|url=https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/es-devlin-set-designer/index.html |publisher=CNN |first=Fiona |last=Sinclair Scott |date=22 September 2018}}</ref> and experimental opera<ref name="AV Magazine">{{cite web |title=Carmen on the lake stage prefers projectors to LED|url=https://www.avinteractive.com/news/projection/christie-boxers-set-scene-carmen-lake-stage-bregenz-festival-04-09-2018/ |publisher=AV Magazine |first=Guy |last=Campos |date=4 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="Independent">{{cite news |title=Es Devlin interview: Meet Britain's most astonishingly prolific designer|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/features/es-devlin-interview-meet-britains-most-astonishingly-prolific-designer-10029405.html |newspaper=Independent |first=Holly |last=Williams |date=7 February 2015}}</ref> After a period working for London's [[Bush Theatre]], she first worked for the [[Royal National Theatre|National Theatre]] in 1998 when [[Trevor Nunn]] asked her to design the set for a revival of [[Harold Pinter]]'s ''[[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]''.<ref name="O'Hagan" /> She has since worked on sculptural designs for the theatre.<ref name="paper">{{cite web |title=Smart Set|url=https://www.wallpaper.com/design/es-devlin-set-designer-lehman-trilogy-sam-mendes |publisher=Wallpaper |first=Bethan |last=Ryder |date=September 2018}}</ref><ref name="dezeen">{{cite web |title=Es Devlin creates bowl-shaped set as backdrop for virtual reality-themed play|url=https://www.dezeen.com/2017/03/07/es-devlin-map-backdrop-set-design-ugly-lies-the-bone-play-virtual-reality-london-national-theatre/ |publisher=Dezeen |first=Eleanor |last=Gibson |date=7 March 2017}}</ref>
Es Devlin's career began in narrative theatre and experimental opera, with early work at London's [[Bush Theatre]]. In 1998, she made her [[National Theatre Live|National Theatre]] debut when [[Trevor Nunn]] invited her to design the set for [[Harold Pinter]]’s [[Betrayal (play)|Betrayal]]. Since then, Devlin has gained a reputation for her sculptural and innovative designs for the stage.


⚫
In 2005, she was hired by [[Kanye West]] to work on his tour [[Touch the Sky Tour|Touch the Sky]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Fishwick |first=Samuel |date=2016-09-22 |title=Es Devlin: 'I'm aware of forces bigger than me' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/es-devlin-on-working-with-kanye-west-and-beyonce-and-creating-her-first-solo-exhibition-a3348121.html |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>
In 2003, she ventured into concert design with her first collaboration, working with the band [[Wire (band)|Wire]]. In 2005, [[Kanye West]] hired her to design his [[Touch the Sky Tour|Touch the Sky]] tour, marking the start of a long-term collaboration, which continued with his [[Glow in the Dark Tour|Glow in the Dark]] and [[Watch the Throne Tour|Watch the Throne tours]].


Devlin designed the UK Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |title=Es Devlin OBE to design UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/es-devlin-obe-to-design-uk-pavilion-at-expo-2020-dubai |website=gov.uk|date=27 September 2018 }}</ref> She is the first woman to be commissioned by the UK since world expositions began in 1851.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Fulcher |first1=Merlin |title=Set designer Es Devlin picked for UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai |url=https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/set-designer-es-devlin-picked-for-uk-pavilion-at-expo-2020-dubai/10035546.article |website=Architects' Journal|date=27 September 2018 }}</ref>
In 2012, Devlin designed the scenic elements for the closing ceremony of the [[London Olympics (2012)|London Olympics]]. Four years later, in 2016, she created the set design for the opening ceremony of the [[Rio Olympics]].


Her luminous fluorescent red ''Fifth Lion'' sculpture roared [[Artificial intelligence|A.I.]] generated collective poetry to crowds in [[Trafalgar Square]] during [[London Design Festival]] September 2018.<ref name="AnOther">{{cite web |title=The Power of Public Spaces, According to Es Devlin|url=http://www.anothermag.com/design-living/11190/the-power-of-public-spaces-according-to-es-devlin |publisher=AnOther |first=Milly |last=Burroughs |date=24 September 2018}}</ref> ''The Singing Tree'', her collective choral carol installation at the [[Victoria and Albert Museum]], fused machine-learning with sound and light<ref name="Campaign">{{cite web |title=Beyoncé set designer Es Devlin creates 'singing tree' for V&A|url=https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/beyonce-set-designer-es-devlin-creates-singing-tree-v-a/1451794/ |publisher=Campaign |first=Gurjit |last=Degun |date=1 December 2017}}</ref> and was viewed by over ten thousand visitors during Christmas 2017; her ''Mirrormaze''<ref name="Creative Review">{{cite web |title=Es Devlin creates mirror maze installation in Peckham for Chanel and i-D|url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/es-devlin-creates-mirror-maze-installation-peckham-chanel-i-d// |publisher=creative Review |first=Rachel |last=Steven |date=21 September 2016}}</ref> generated queues around the block in Peckham in 2016. Further explorations of labyrinthine and map based geometries led to the 7000 square foot hotel room odyssey ''Room2022''<ref name="AD">{{cite magazine |title=Beyoncé and Kanye's Stage Designer Is Making Major Waves in the Art World|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/es-devlin-stage-designer-art-world |magazine=Architectural Digest |first=Janelle |last=Zara |date=9 January 2018}}</ref> at [[Art Basel|Art Basel Miami]] 2017 and the projection-mapped ovoid model city ''MASK'' at [[Somerset House]] 2018.<ref name="ArtsDesk">{{cite web |title=Highlights from Photo London 2018 – something old, something new|url=https://theartsdesk.com/visual-arts/highlights-photo-london-2018-something-old-something-new |website=The Arts Desk |first=Bill |last=Knight |date=19 May 2018}}</ref>
Her work on installations began gaining attention as well, 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. That same year, she created Room2022, a 7,000 square-foot installation at [[Art Basel Miami]].


The designer collaborated with the theoretical physicist [[Carlo Rovelli]] on an interpretation of ''The Order of Time'' read by [[Benedict Cumberbatch]] at the rooftop art space, BOLD Tendencies in Peckham in September 2018.<ref name="The Art Newspaper">{{cite news |title=Es Devlin, Carlo Rovelli and the Multi-Story Orchestra light up Peckham|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/blog/es-devlin-carlo-rovelli-and-the-multistorey-orchestra-in-peckham |newspaper=The Art Newspaper |first=Louisa |last=Buck |date=24 September 2018}}</ref><ref name="Evening Standard">{{cite news |title=Bold Tendencies is bringing opera to a multi-storey car park in Peckham|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/bold-tendencies-is-bringing-opera-to-a-multistorey-car-park-in-peckham-a3932491.html |newspaper=The Evening Standard |first=Julian |last=Glover |date=11 September 2018}}</ref> Devlin has made large scale touring stage sculptures in collaboration with [[Beyoncé]],<ref name="Wallpaper">{{cite web |title=Stage light: supercharged set designer Es Devlin on 20 years of triumphs and what's next|url=https://www.wallpaper.com/design/set-designer-es-devlin-profile |publisher=Wallpaper |first=Ali |last=Morris |date=15 September 2017}}</ref> [[Kanye West]],<ref name="Design Week"/> [[Adele]],<ref name="w">{{cite web |title=How Visionary Stage Designer Es Devlin Recreated Her Magic In Her London Home|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/es-devlin-stage-designer-london-home |publisher=W |first=Alice |last=Rawsthorn |date=18 September 2018}}</ref> [[U2]],<ref name="Hollywood Reporter">{{cite magazine |title=Meet the Artist Behind Kanye West's Elaborate Stage Sets|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/meet-kanye-wests-stage-designer-828678 |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |first=Nancy |last=Hass |date=1 October 2015}}</ref> [[The Weeknd]],<ref name="AdWeek"/> [[Lorde]], [[Pet Shop Boys]],<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/music/what-to-listen-to/pet-shop-boys-royal-opera-house-gig-was-utterly-bonkers---review/|title=Pet Shop Boys' Royal Opera House gig was utterly bonkers – review|last=Hall|first=James|date=2016-07-21|work=The Telegraph|access-date=2018-11-21|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref> and the [[Royal Opera House]]<ref name="w"/> in London. Devlin also designed the [[2012 Summer Olympics|London Olympics]] [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony|closing ceremony]] in 2012<ref name="Wallpaper"/><ref name="FT">{{cite news |title=Es Devlin's designs for (cultural) life|url=https://www.ft.com/content/a14baa18-e580-11e3-a7f5-00144feabdc0 |newspaper=Financial Times |first=Peter |last=Aspden |date=30 May 2014}}</ref> and the [[2016 Summer Olympics opening ceremony|opening ceremony]] of the [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio Olympics]].<ref name="WSJ">{{cite news |title=Es Devlin's Otherworldly Stage Sets|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/es-devlins-otherworldly-stage-sets-1478134201 |newspaper=Wall Street Journal |first=Sarah |last=Medford |date=2 November 2016}}</ref>
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]]. 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]].


In 2019, Devlin delivered a talk at the [[TED (conference)|TED Conference]] in Vancouver titled Mind-blowing sculptures that fuse art & technology, which was selected by TED curator [[Chris Anderson (entrepreneur)|Chris Anderson]] as one of the best talks of the year. She also worked on The Hunt, a play directed by [[Rupert Goold]], which premiered in London and transferred to [[St. Ann's Warehouse|St. Ann’s Warehouse]] in New York in 2024.
In 2019, Devlin delivered a talk at the [[TED (conference)|TED]] conference in Vancouver entitled 'Mind-blowing sculptures that fuse art & technology'. It was later selected by TED curator [[Chris Anderson (entrepreneur)|Chris Anderson]] as one of the best talks of 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ted.com/playlists/727/curator_s_picks_top_10_ted_talks_of_2019|title = Curator's Picks: Top 10 TED Talks of 2019 &#124; TED Talks}}</ref> Her collaboration with rapper [[Dave (rapper)|Dave]] and producer [[Fraser T. Smith]] won an [[Ivor Novello Awards|Ivor Novello Award]] for Best Contemporary Song 2021.<ref>{{Cite web |last=W |first=Courtney |date=2021-09-21 |title=Fraser T Smith, Dave & Es Devlin's "Children Of The Internet" Wins 2021 Ivor Novello For Best Contemporary Song |url=https://grmdaily.com/ivor-novello-awards-2021-winners/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=GRM Daily |language=en-GB}}</ref> She also collaborated with the artist [[Yinka Ilori]] on the design of the [[Britannia]] statuettes for the 2021 [[Brit Awards]].<ref name="bertoli_winners">{{Cite web |last=Bertoli |first=Rosa |date=2021-04-28 |title=Brit Awards 2021 winners to receive trophies by Yinka Ilori and Es Devlin |url=https://www.wallpaper.com/design/brit-awards-2021-trophy-design-es-devlin-yinka-ilori |access-date=2023-02-10 |website=Wallpaper |language=en}}</ref>


Her work on the 2022 [[Super Bowl]] Half Time show featuring [[Dr. Dre|Dr Dre]], [[Kendrick Lamar]] and [[Eminem]] won 3 [[Emmy Awards]] including best production design while her work on Adele's Griffith Observatory performance also won 5 Emmys at the same ceremony.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-04 |title=Emmys 2022: Adele and Dr. Dre's Super Bowl Halftime Win Variety Special Awards |url=https://pitchfork.com/news/emmys-2022-adele-one-night-only-takes-home-five-awards-super-bowl-halftime-show-wins-three/ |access-date=2022-09-14 |website=Pitchfork |language=en-US}}</ref> She received widespread attention and a [[Tony Award for Best Scenic Design]] for her work on the [[Sam Mendes]] directed play ''[[The Lehman Trilogy]]''. She did the scenic design of the [[Rupert Goold]] play ''[[The Hunt (play)|The Hunt]]'' (2019), which transferred to New York at [[St. Ann's Warehouse]] in 2024.
Devlin’s career took on international projects, including designing the UK Pavilion at the [[Expo 2020|2020 World Expo]] in Dubai, making her the first woman to receive such a commission since the inception of world expositions in 1851.

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

In 2022, Devlin’s work on the [[List of Super Bowl halftime shows|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. Her scenic design for The Lehman Trilogy, directed by [[Sam Mendes]], won her the [[Tony Awards|Tony Award]] for Best Scenic Design.

Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including [[Beyoncé]], [[Adele]], [[U2 360° Tour|U2]], [[The Weeknd]], [[Lorde]], and [[Pet Shop Boys]] and worked with institutions such as the Royal Opera House in London.


== Work ==
== Work ==
⚫
The Poem Pavilion she designed at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018-09-26 |title=Es Devlin to design interactive Poem Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020 |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/27/es-devlin-interactive-poem-pavilion-uk-pavilion-dubai-expo-2020-architecture/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Dezeen |language=en}}</ref> - 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.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Niall Patrick |date=27 September 2018 |title=Es Devlin to Design the UK'S "Poem Pavilion" for Dubai Expo 2020 |url=https://www.archdaily.com/902853/es-devlin-to-design-the-uks-poem-pavilion-for-dubai-expo-2020 |website=ArchDaily}}</ref>
Es Devlin's work is famous for capturing abstract element and giving a physical repretation.


Using plastic trees, sellotape, stretchy mirrored sheeting, string, she builds "dream-like constellation of things" explaining that “the piece happens between those objects,” <ref name=":3" />
⚫
The Poem Pavilion she designed at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai<ref name=":0">{{cite web |date=27 September 2018 |title=Es Devlin OBE to design UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/es-devlin-obe-to-design-uk-pavilion-at-expo-2020-dubai |website=gov.uk}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2018-09-26 |title=Es Devlin to design interactive Poem Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020 |url=https://www.dezeen.com/2018/09/27/es-devlin-interactive-poem-pavilion-uk-pavilion-dubai-expo-2020-architecture/ |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Dezeen |language=en}}</ref> - 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.<ref name=":2">{{cite web |last1=Walsh |first1=Niall Patrick |date=27 September 2018 |title=Es Devlin to Design the UK'S "Poem Pavilion" for Dubai Expo 2020 |url=https://www.archdaily.com/902853/es-devlin-to-design-the-uks-poem-pavilion-for-dubai-expo-2020 |website=ArchDaily}}</ref>

⚫
Using plastic trees, sellotape, stretchy mirrored sheeting, string, she builds "dream-like constellation of things" explaining that “the piece happens between those objects,” <ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Fishwick |first=Samuel |date=2016-09-22 |title=Es Devlin: 'I'm aware of forces bigger than me' |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/es-devlin-on-working-with-kanye-west-and-beyonce-and-creating-her-first-solo-exhibition-a3348121.html |access-date=2024-04-20 |website=Evening Standard |language=en}}</ref>


"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."<ref name="O'Hagan" /> For Hamlet director Lyndsey Turner, Devlin “doesn’t design what a play wants but what it needs.”<ref name=":3" />
"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."<ref name="O'Hagan" /> For Hamlet director Lyndsey Turner, Devlin “doesn’t design what a play wants but what it needs.”<ref name=":3" />
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==Personal life==
==Personal life==
Devlin is married to the theatrical costume designer Jack Galloway; they have two children and live in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/es-devlin-stage-designer-london-home|title=How Beyoncé's Set Designer Created the Same Magic In a London House|first=Alice|last=Rawsthorn|website=W Magazine|date=18 September 2018 |access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Her husband works on [[The Lion King (musical)|''The Lion King Musical'']] franchise.<ref name=":3" />
Devlin is married to the theatrical costume designer Jack Galloway; they have two children and live in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wmagazine.com/story/es-devlin-stage-designer-london-home|title=How Beyoncé's Set Designer Created the Same Magic In a London House|first=Alice|last=Rawsthorn|website=W Magazine|date=18 September 2018 |access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> Her husband works on [[The Lion King (musical)|''The Lion King Musical'']] franchise.<ref name=":3" />

Devlin is an avid gardener, remarking on how she and her family acquired their first garden in 2016. She likened a well-designed garden to a "slow-motion fireworks display," with plants flowering in phases throughout the year.

She has expressed a lifelong appreciation for the [[London Underground]], recalling how the Tube map, with its clear geometry and colour coding, made the complexity of the city feel manageable, even as a child. She is also a regular visitor at [[St Paul's Cathedral|St Paul’s Cathedral]] and [[Westminster Abbey]], which she considers one of the most beautiful sounds created by humans.

Her favorite place in London is a 4D Modelshop in [[Whitechapel]], which stocks a variety of model-making materials, including miniature figures and furniture in all scales. She has also praised L. Cornelissen & Son, an art shop on Great Russell Street, calling it the most beautiful art store in London. In addition, she regularly visits Village Books in [[Dulwich]], referring to it as an essential stop for book lovers.


== Recognition ==
== Recognition ==

Revision as of 09:19, 17 September 2024

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

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]

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

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

Her practice began in narrative theatre[10] and experimental opera[11][12] After a period working for London's Bush Theatre, she first worked for the National Theatre in 1998 when Trevor Nunn asked her to design the set for a revival of Harold Pinter's Betrayal.[9] She has since worked on sculptural designs for the theatre.[13][14]

In 2005, she was hired by Kanye West to work on his tour Touch the Sky.[15]

Devlin designed the UK Pavilion at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai.[16] She is the first woman to be commissioned by the UK since world expositions began in 1851.[17]

Her luminous fluorescent red Fifth Lion sculpture roared A.I. generated collective poetry to crowds in Trafalgar Square during London Design Festival September 2018.[18] The Singing Tree, her collective choral carol installation at the Victoria and Albert Museum, fused machine-learning with sound and light[19] and was viewed by over ten thousand visitors during Christmas 2017; her Mirrormaze[20] generated queues around the block in Peckham in 2016. Further explorations of labyrinthine and map based geometries led to the 7000 square foot hotel room odyssey Room2022[21] at Art Basel Miami 2017 and the projection-mapped ovoid model city MASK at Somerset House 2018.[22]

The designer collaborated with the theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on an interpretation of The Order of Time read by Benedict Cumberbatch at the rooftop art space, BOLD Tendencies in Peckham in September 2018.[23][24] Devlin has made large scale touring stage sculptures in collaboration with Beyoncé,[25] Kanye West,[3] Adele,[26] U2,[27] The Weeknd,[4] Lorde, Pet Shop Boys,[28] and the Royal Opera House[26] in London. Devlin also designed the London Olympics closing ceremony in 2012[25][29] and the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympics.[30]

In 2019, Devlin delivered a talk at the TED conference in Vancouver entitled 'Mind-blowing sculptures that fuse art & technology'. It was later selected by TED curator Chris Anderson as one of the best talks of 2019.[31] Her collaboration with rapper Dave and producer Fraser T. Smith won an Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song 2021.[32] She also collaborated with the artist Yinka Ilori on the design of the Britannia statuettes for the 2021 Brit Awards.[33]

Her work on the 2022 Super Bowl Half Time show featuring Dr Dre, Kendrick Lamar and Eminem won 3 Emmy Awards including best production design while her work on Adele's Griffith Observatory performance also won 5 Emmys at the same ceremony.[34] She received widespread attention and a Tony Award for Best Scenic Design for her work on the Sam Mendes directed play The Lehman Trilogy. She did the scenic design of the Rupert Goold play The Hunt (2019), which transferred to New York at St. Ann's Warehouse in 2024.

Work

The Poem Pavilion she designed at the 2020 World Expo in Dubai[16][35] - 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.[36]

Using plastic trees, sellotape, stretchy mirrored sheeting, string, she builds "dream-like constellation of things" explaining that “the piece happens between those objects,” [15]

"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.”[15]

Personal life

Devlin is married to the theatrical costume designer Jack Galloway; they have two children and live in London.[37] Her husband works on The Lion King Musical franchise.[15]

Recognition

Devlin is the subject of episode three of the Netflix documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design.[43]

Work

Theatre

Year Project Credit Venue Ref.
1999 Howie the Rookie Scenic Design Bush Theatre, London [44]
2001 A Day in the Death of Joe Egg Scenic Design / Costume Design Ambassador's Theatre, West End [45]
2003 American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [46]
2013 Chimerica Scenic Designer Almeida Theatre, West End [47]
2014 Machinal Set Design American Airlines Theatre, Broadway [48]
2014 The Nether Scenic Designer Royal Court Theatre, London [49]
2014 American Psycho Scenic Design Almeida Theatre, West End [50]
2016 Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, Broadway [51]
2015 Hamlet Scenic Designer Barbican Theatre, West End [52]
2018 Aristocrats Scenic Designer Donmar Warehouse, West End [53]
2018 Girls & Boys Set Designer The Royal Court Theatre, London [54]
Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway [55]
2018 The Lehman Trilogy Scenic Design Lyttelton Theatre, West End [56]
2021 Nederlander Theatre, Broadway [57]
2019 The Hunt Scenic Design Almeida Theatre, West End [58]
2024 St. Ann's Warehouse, Brooklyn [59]
2023 The Crucible Scenic Designer Olivier Theatre, West End [60]
2023 Dear England Scenic Designer Olivier Theatre, West End [61]
2023 The Motive and the Cue Scenic Designer Lyttelton Theatre, West End [62]
2024 Noël Coward Theatre, West End [63]

Television

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

Accolades

Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2014 Laurence Olivier Award Best Set Design Chimerica Won [64]
2015 The Nether Won [65]
2016 Hamlet Nominated [66]
2019 The Lehman Trilogy Nominated [67]
2024 Dear England Nominated [68]
2014 Tony Award Best Scenic Design of a Play Machinal Nominated [69]
2016 Best Scenic Design of a Musical American Psycho Nominated [70]
2022 Best Scenic Design of a Play The Lehman Trilogy Won [71]

References

  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. ^ a b Polianskaya, Alina (11 September 2018). "5 installations to catch at London Design Festival". Design Week.
  4. ^ a b 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 d O'Hagan, Andrew (28 March 2016). "Imaginary Spaces". The New Yorker. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  10. ^ Sinclair Scott, Fiona (22 September 2018). "The transformative and magical power of Es Devlin's stage design". CNN.
  11. ^ Campos, Guy (4 September 2018). "Carmen on the lake stage prefers projectors to LED". AV Magazine.
  12. ^ Williams, Holly (7 February 2015). "Es Devlin interview: Meet Britain's most astonishingly prolific designer". Independent.
  13. ^ Ryder, Bethan (September 2018). "Smart Set". Wallpaper.
  14. ^ Gibson, Eleanor (7 March 2017). "Es Devlin creates bowl-shaped set as backdrop for virtual reality-themed play". Dezeen.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ a b "Es Devlin OBE to design UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai". gov.uk. 27 September 2018.
  17. ^ Fulcher, Merlin (27 September 2018). "Set designer Es Devlin picked for UK Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai". Architects' Journal.
  18. ^ Burroughs, Milly (24 September 2018). "The Power of Public Spaces, According to Es Devlin". AnOther.
  19. ^ Degun, Gurjit (1 December 2017). "Beyoncé set designer Es Devlin creates 'singing tree' for V&A". Campaign.
  20. ^ Steven, Rachel (21 September 2016). "Es Devlin creates mirror maze installation in Peckham for Chanel and i-D". creative Review.
  21. ^ Zara, Janelle (9 January 2018). "Beyoncé and Kanye's Stage Designer Is Making Major Waves in the Art World". Architectural Digest.
  22. ^ Knight, Bill (19 May 2018). "Highlights from Photo London 2018 – something old, something new". The Arts Desk.
  23. ^ Buck, Louisa (24 September 2018). "Es Devlin, Carlo Rovelli and the Multi-Story Orchestra light up Peckham". The Art Newspaper.
  24. ^ Glover, Julian (11 September 2018). "Bold Tendencies is bringing opera to a multi-storey car park in Peckham". The Evening Standard.
  25. ^ a b Morris, Ali (15 September 2017). "Stage light: supercharged set designer Es Devlin on 20 years of triumphs and what's next". Wallpaper.
  26. ^ a b Rawsthorn, Alice (18 September 2018). "How Visionary Stage Designer Es Devlin Recreated Her Magic In Her London Home". W.
  27. ^ Hass, Nancy (1 October 2015). "Meet the Artist Behind Kanye West's Elaborate Stage Sets". The Hollywood Reporter.
  28. ^ Hall, James (21 July 2016). "Pet Shop Boys' Royal Opera House gig was utterly bonkers – review". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 November 2018.
  29. ^ Aspden, Peter (30 May 2014). "Es Devlin's designs for (cultural) life". Financial Times.
  30. ^ Medford, Sarah (2 November 2016). "Es Devlin's Otherworldly Stage Sets". Wall Street Journal.
  31. ^ "Curator's Picks: Top 10 TED Talks of 2019 | TED Talks".
  32. ^ W, Courtney (21 September 2021). "Fraser T Smith, Dave & Es Devlin's "Children Of The Internet" Wins 2021 Ivor Novello For Best Contemporary Song". GRM Daily. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  33. ^ Bertoli, Rosa (28 April 2021). "Brit Awards 2021 winners to receive trophies by Yinka Ilori and Es Devlin". Wallpaper. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  34. ^ "Emmys 2022: Adele and Dr. Dre's Super Bowl Halftime Win Variety Special Awards". Pitchfork. 4 September 2022. Retrieved 14 September 2022.
  35. ^ "Es Devlin to design interactive Poem Pavilion for Dubai Expo 2020". Dezeen. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 20 April 2024.
  36. ^ Walsh, Niall Patrick (27 September 2018). "Es Devlin to Design the UK'S "Poem Pavilion" for Dubai Expo 2020". ArchDaily.
  37. ^ Rawsthorn, Alice (18 September 2018). "How Beyoncé's Set Designer Created the Same Magic In a London House". W Magazine. Retrieved 9 June 2019.
  38. ^ "No. 61092". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2014. p. N12.
  39. ^ "The Royal Designers for Industry 2018 have been revealed". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  40. ^ "UAL talents Es Devlin OBE and Ben Terrett elected Royal Designers for Industry". Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  41. ^ "No. 63571". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 2022. p. N9.
  42. ^ McLaughlin, Aimée (6 February 2018). "5 talks to catch at Design Indaba 2018". Design Week.
  43. ^ "Netflix launches new documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design with a stellar lineup". itsnicethat.com. 19 January 2017. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  44. ^ "Howie the Rookie (1999)". abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  45. ^ "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (2001)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  46. ^ "A Day in the Death of Joe Egg (Broadway, 2003)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  47. ^ "Chimerica (2013)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  48. ^ "Machinal (Broadway, 2014)". March 18, 2024.
  49. ^ "The Nether (2014)". Abottheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  50. ^ "American Psycho (2014)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  51. ^ "American Psycho (Broadway, 2016)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  52. ^ "Hamlet (2015)". Abouttheartist. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  53. ^ "Aristocrats". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  54. ^ "Girls & Boys". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  55. ^ "Girls & Boys (New York, 2018)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  56. ^ "The Lehman Trilogy (2018)". Abouttheartists. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  57. ^ "The Lehman Trilogy (Broadway, 2021)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  58. ^ "The Hunt (2019, London)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  59. ^ "St. Ann's Warehouse offers US premiere of 'The Hunt'". Brooklyn Daily Eagle. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  60. ^ "Es Devlin's The Crucible set features cyclical rain installation to symbolise "chaos"". Dezeen. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  61. ^ "Dear England". esdevlin. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  62. ^ "The Motive and the Cue (London, 2023)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  63. ^ "The Motive and the Cue". National Theatre. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  64. ^ "Olivier awards 2014 – full nominations". TheGuardian.com. 10 March 2014.
  65. ^ "Olivier awards 2015 – full list of winners". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  66. ^ "Olivier Awards: The 2016 Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  67. ^ "2019 Olivier Award Nominations: London's Company and Come From Away Lead the Pack". Playbill. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  68. ^ "Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Snook, David Tennant Score Olivier Awards Nominations — Full List". Variety. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  69. ^ "2014 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  70. ^ "2016 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
  71. ^ "2022 Tony Awards Nominees". American Theatre Wing. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
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