Shokai Carter Sinclair | visual artist

Shokai Sinclair (he/him)

About my work

Like many art and philosophy students, I read a lot of Nietzsche in college. The topic of one of the most memorable lectures was “Apollo vs Dionysus.” As the theory goes, all of Greek tragedy can be boiled down to a metaphorical struggle between Apollo (the god of rational order) and Dionysus (the god of chaos and intuition). Queering this narrative, I enjoy replacing the “vs” with a “plus,” and imagine Apollo and Dionysus getting it on!

Although I wouldn’t describe myself as a synesthete, I’m interested in the moments where senses and feelings mix and translate into deeper meanings (music and landscape mixed into a crystalized sense of one’s lifelong passions, memory and mortality mixed into a profound gratitude for one’s ancestors).

Through my work, I explore authenticity, history, memory, and legacy as suspicious concepts that demand not to be taken at face value.

I primarily exhibit paintings and drawings, but I rarely start off a project working in those media. I normally begin by researching the topic that I’m exploring. I may even create exploratory pieces in media like sound, video, and performance.

I frequently post new works in progress on Instagram. Feel free to connect or request a studio tour.

About me

I was born in Boston, Massachusetts. I grew up in the swamps of North Carolina. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over 16 years before moving to Denver, Colorado, in 2020.

I am a UX designer focused on creating sustainable digital products.

I’m also an amateur genealogist, permaculturist, and Tarot reader.

I serve as an alumni liaison for my alma mater — the once glorious, now-defunct San Francisco Art Institute. The spirit of SFAI is being kept alive by my peers at SF Artists Alumni.