"Illest" by Vitus Shell

"Illest" is a new exhibition by visiting artist Vitus Shell comprised of a series of portraits in his colorful and dynamic mixed-media style. Through this show, Vitus' goal is to give agency to the Black community, showing the true spirit of his subjects by painting them into collages. Vitus says, “‘Illest’ is a hip hop term, meaning most impressive or highly skilled. In the truest form of Black vernacular, the word ‘illest’ defines the resilience of the community, and similar to collage painting, how layered histories shape a person.”