Corey Allen Davis was born in 1994, and is a contemporary painter based in Cincinnati, Ohio. For his first two years in undergrad, Corey studied journalism. Seeking something less rigid, Corey began his BFA. He graduated with his BFA from DAAP in 2018 and shortly after, he found a studio in Cincinnati on the westside of the city to make work. From here, Corey began making, and showing his paintings consistently.

     Corey’s practice highlights a personal transaction within the process of art-making. This process occurs between artist and artwork; the constant dance of giving, and receiving that is painting. Make your marks honestly without regret, and the painting will give something special back in return. Corey’s memories, dreams, and environments lay bare on the surface giving the viewer something vulnerable to spend time with. These painted “journal entries” can be edited into something that behaves like poetry, or left unedited as honest messes. Some of his paintings read as architectural spaces, or landscapes with horizon lines. These spaces may consist of busy, mnemonic forms that seem vaguely rooted in reality. Alongside some of these forms you might find energetic marks that closely resemble actual handwriting. Other paintings are quieter, and largely monochrome like a blanket soothing the talkative textures of past paintings that are muffled underneath.