Gordon Shadrach has had a lifelong fascination with the semiotics of clothing and its impact on

culture. In particular, his interest lies in the intersection and codification of race and fashion.

These codes impact the way we navigate through spaces and influence how people associate

with one another. Shadrach’s portraits of Black men utilize fashion—contemporary or historical

dress—in order to create narratives which pull viewers in to explore the biases embedded in

North American culture. Most of Shadrach’s paintings are finished in damaged antique and

vintage frames. The frames’ patina and wear lend historic weight and insert the portraits into a

period when Black people were rarely depicted in Western portraiture. Shadrach seeks to

disrupt the colonial constrictions of portraiture by inviting viewers to reflect upon the depiction

of Black people in art and culture. Shadrach is a graduate of OCAD.u!