In conceptualizing the show art for the upcoming Louis Armstrong bio-musical “A Wonderful World,” its producers sent a few AI-generated images to their ad agency, the Pekoe Group. “It was a neon title treatment with illustrative key art of rich warm tones, loaded with energy and an almost icon treatment of the title character,” described Pekoe Group art director Christina D’Angelo, who got to work on the lettering and style of the title “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical.” But as for the background, Pekoe would need an illustrator.
D’Angelo thought of collage artist Zharia Shinn, who D’Angelo knew “could really make this show sing.”
Shinn has become known for her vibrant collage portraiture, seen on gallery walls and book jackets alike. Drawn to visual expression from a young age, Shinn began formally exploring the medium of collage during her undergraduate studies at the Rhode Island School of Design. She learned about African art and quilt-making and became fascinated by the legacy of geometry, puzzles and patterns within African American and African history. She began quilting portraits, manipulating fabric — until she thought, “What if I did this with paper?”
