Flag

by Levi De Jong

“My sculptural practice challenges and reimagines American identity through abstraction, using symbols like the American flag, religious iconography, and pop culture references in order to deconstruct and redefine their cultural significance.

Growing up in in the midwest, I explore themes such as nationalism, and the complexities of American-ness in my work. By transforming these familiar symbols, I aim to question the narratives they reinforce and provoke a deeper reflection on their role in shaping our collective experience.

Drawing on the technical foundations from my studies in Florence and London, I integrate these ideas with a material rationale informed by my upbringing. I work with recycled builder's materials which carry their own inherent histories—remnants of labor, class, and, industry.

These materials, once used to build public or private spaces, now serve as vessels of memory and cultural commentary, allowing me to explore the intersections of industry, identity, and the American experience.

I find myself greatly influenced by the Arte Povera movement and expressionist schools of thought, I manipulate these materials in unexpected ways, breaking down their conventional meanings and offering new, liberated perspectives on American identity.

Through this process, I create space for critical dialogue, inviting viewers to reconsider their relationships with the ideas and values embedded in everyday cultural and political symbols."

Levi De Jong (b. 1997, Dallas, Texas) is an American sculptor and a member of the current MA Sculpture 2024 graduating cohort at the Royal College of Art, London, United Kingdom. His artistic practice is deeply rooted in the Florentine tradition, refined under the tutelage of classically trained painters, sculptors, and artisans during his studies at the Florence University of the Arts, Italy. However, De Jong diverges from traditional methods by integrating rural materials into his work, paying homage to his upbringing. The abstraction embedded in his practice and concepts draws inspiration from the Italian Arte Povera movement and the Expressionist schools of thought. Through this approach, he blends traditional rural American building materials with a reinterpretation of classical European methodologies, transforming them into images that provoke new perspectives on Western art history and established societal norms.