ABOUT SERGE GAY JR. is an American visual artist and creative designer in San Francisco, California. He has always been an artist. It is a talent coursing in his blood. As a child, his drawing skills were instrumental in connecting with his classmates and teachers. Art was their common language because Serge and his family were recent immigrants to the U.S. from Haiti.
The investment in Serge's art skills continued on from those early days. Beyond his informal self-teaching, formal studies and practice began as an adolescent at a Magnet Arts High School in Miami, Florida. Then on to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, where he refined his illustrative skills and stirred his interest in history, especially that of the rich and the poor and the so-called civil rights that seem to keep them divided.
After his formative college experiences both on-campus and off, Serge relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in California to pursue an art career. In the decades and years since, his skill and experience have grown to span a prolific range of visual art engagements, including graphic design for commercial and small business use, art directing for recorded and live performances, solo and group gallery exhibitions, in-door and out-door event art, general commissions, and both public and private murals throughout the Bay Area.
When working on art for himself, Serge infuses inspiration reflective of urban realities from coast to coast. Keen to the racial and economic challenges of our time, influenced by the culture of his homeland, and melded with his life experiences, his voice and the motivation in his work is crisp and clear. His aesthetic incorporates the grit of New York, the beauty of Miami, the wealth of Detroit, and the freedom of San Francisco. All of these places, in their own way, permeate the evolution of his work.
When producing art for others, the acumen he demonstrates, the professionalism he provides, and the listening skills he uses are all at the ready to deliver. Serge's concern is for the project's outcome and meeting the client's vision for their brand or desired aesthetic. A trusted advisor on all things colorful and graphic, his expertise is sought out because he is dependable and he makes art that speaks and feels like no other.
Serge owns and operates SergeShop, a graphic design and visual arts company. He is also a freelance visual art director working with film and video production design teams in Los Angeles, California. One of the major projects he worked on, with longtime collaborator and film director Matt Stawski, yielded a Grammy nomination for best short-form music video. They continue to collaborate on ongoing video and film production projects.
Additionally, above and beyond producing murals and other visual art that amplify LGBTQIA+ voices, Serge has taken action on behalf of a broader sense of community, having served on the board for the Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza and separately having produced projects with local community benefit districts, the California Health and Human Services Agency, and the United States Consulate working in partnership with the State Department of Cultural Affairs, plus many other organizations.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2019 P.S. I Love You, VossGallery, San Francisco, CA 2019 VALID, Art-Artack Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2017 Different Rules, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2016 Combine, BlackBird Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2014 Gold, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2011 Absolute Happiness, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2010 Xcstasy, Medicine Agency Gallery, San Francisco, CA
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2017 David Lynch Tribute Art Show, Spoke-Art Gallery, New York, NY 2016 4th Annual 12X12 Exhibit, Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2015 Beyond Eden, LA Municipal (Spoke-Art), Los Angeles, CA 2015 La Couleur De L’etrangete, Spoke-Art Gallery, SF, CA 2014 Contemporary Contemporary, Gauntlet Gallery, SF, CA 2013 Scorsese, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2013 Rediscovery, Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2013 Moleskine #3, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2013 Sex, Drugs, Money, & Guns, Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2013 Attention Earth, Strychnin Gallery, Berlin, Germany 2013 Visions and Reflections, Gauntlet Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2012 Picks of the Harvest, Thinkspace Gallery, Culver City, CA 2012 Moleskine #2, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2012 ArtPad, Spoke-Art Gallery (The Phoenix Hotel), SF, CA 2013 ArtPad, Spoke-Art Gallery (The Phoenix Hotel), SF, CA 2012 Dark Spectrum, Oakland Art Murmur Gallery, Oakland, CA 2012 The Great West Coast Migration, Spoke-Art Gallery, SF, CA 2012 Hope-Beyond, Modern Eden Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2012 Days to Come, 5 Claude Lane Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2012 Stack the Deck, Fourth Wall Project, Boston, MA 2012 A Taste of Things to Come, Spoke-Art Gallery, SF, CA 2012 Where We’re Going, We Don’t Need.., Gauntlet Gallery, SF, CA 2012 Wasted! , WWA Gallery, Culver City, CA 2012 Sea No Evil Art Show, Municipal Auditorium, Riverside, CA 2011 Quentin vs. Coen, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2011 Quentin vs. Coen II, Bold Hype Gallery, New York, NY 2011 Distillation Show, The Distillery Gallery, Boston, MA 2011 Wild Country, Space Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2011 Urban Roots, 323East Gallery, Royal Oak, Mi 2011 Sink or Swim, Spoke-Art Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2010 Bad Dads, LoPo Gallery (Spoke-Art), San Francisco, CA 2010 Awesome Number One Big Fun Show, Medicine Agency, SF CA. 2010 Pazapa Art Auction Benefit, Braunstein Quay Gallery, SF, CA 2009 2nd Anniversary, Barber Lounge, San Francisco, CA 2008 Good Wood, 3rd Ward, Brooklyn, NY 2008 Suite Jesus, 111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA 2007 Satori, Synergy fine art Gallery, Berkley, MI 2006 Potluck, Pr1mary Space Gallery, Hamtramck Mi 2006 ManBox, Pr1mary Space Gallery, Hamtramck Mi MURALS 2019 The Little Chihuahua: 1431 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 2019 Here's How Bar: 1780 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 2019 Love Shack by SPARC: 502 14th St, San Francisco, CA 2019 Japan Crate Headquarters: Los Angeles. Ca 2018 Hotel San Francisco: 653 Commercial St, San Francisco, CA 2018 Khamsa: 1503 15th St, San Francisco, CA 2017 Heritage Restaurant: 708 Clement St, San Francisco, CA 2017 Cafe Claude: 7 Claude Ln, San Francisco, CA 2017 Atelier Emmanuel Salon: 9 Claude Ln, San Francisco, CA 2016 Lush Lounge: 1221 Polk St, San Francisco, CA 94109 2016 Japan Crate Headquarters: (Market) San Francisco, CA 2015 Japan Crate Headquarters: (Richmond) San Francisco, CA 2009 Barber Lounge Salon & Spa: 854 Folsom St San Francisco, CA
