Emmanuel Massillon

Born in 1998, in Washington DC, US
Lives and works in Washington DC and New York City, US

Emmanuel Massillon is an African American conceptual artist who works in several different mediums including painting, photography, and sculpture. With these varying mediums, He explores the complex history of race, identity, culture and it’s the relation to people of African descent. Massillon’s upbringing in the inner city of Washington D.C. shapes the unique narrative that he strives to convey through his work, which is introducing others to new ideas by creating work from day-to-day life to politically charged topics. With this, he aims for his viewers to start and explore conversations that may or may not have been previously spoken about.

Language and materials is very much an important part of his work; he uses many visual puns and many examples of street vernacular which adds to the overall experience of his artwork. The use of language and puns is directly inspired by many genres of African- American music such as Jazz, R&B and Rap music which Massillon believes to be one of the main preservers of black culture in America. The materials used in his work vary from bullet shells, dirt, found objects and wood which act as a way to express his perception of the world by using materials found in his own environment and cultural history. With influences as diverse as folk art, music, art history and African history. Massillon uses many reference points to get his ideas across to his viewers, in a simple yet evoking manner.

When he isn’t working on creating artwork Massillon can be found curating shows to shed light on artists looking to share a similar narrative as him.

Emmanuel Massillon (born in 1998, lives and works in Washington DC and New York City, US) was named to Forbes’ 2026 30 Under 30 Art & Style list. His work is held in the permanent collections of the Baltimore Museum of Art, C21 Museum, the Flint Institute of Arts, and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Through an evolving practice, he continues to push the boundaries of conceptual art, bridging personal and collective histories while redefining how Black culture is represented and preserved in contemporary art spaces.