ABOUT

Shylo Silvenar (b.1978, California, USA) is an artist from Lexington, Kentucky. After a 14-year career in architectural design and visualization, she decided to continue her creative growth beyond the built environment and now pursues her passion as an artist and entrepreneur. She earned her degree in Architecture from the University of Kentucky’s College of Design in 2008, where she focused on 3D visualization in architecture. She has also been a founding member of the game developers organization RunJumpDev.org since 2010.

Influenced by her previous career and long-time love of designing video games, her artwork blends various mediums like 3D modeling, interactive media, photography, and digital painting. She creates experiences that blur the line between reality and imagination. Inspired by nature, mythology, fantasy, and classic fiction, her creations take the form of immersive installations, interactive digital media, and constructed narrative photography.

Beyond her artwork, Shylo is a digital media consultant and designer, constantly pushing the boundaries of creative expression. Her journey reflects a lifelong fascination with the intersection of art and technology, and she invites viewers to explore these realms with her.

Since childhood, I have had a vivid imagination sparked by my love of pretend, role-playing games, fantasy, mythology, and magic. My background in architecture, visualization, video game design, and VR built on that imagination, allowing me to see the world through the lens of multiple realities & possibilities.

In the form of painterly portrait photography, digitally interactive works, or immersive cross-reality experiences, my work embraces the idea of escaping the mundane world through imagination and subtly speaks about the struggles of the mind. Drawn from personal experience as well as the experiences of loved ones, I know all too well how it feels to desire a different reality. From a healthier place now, I understand that mental health is a subject that needs to become more normalized and encourage open discussion when showing my work. Though I create new realities and my work expresses positive feelings like self-acceptance, personal growth, and understanding; each scene often also has a darkness to it, acknowledging the internal battles fought and the hard work that goes into achieving those positive feelings. 

I explore combining the real world with the otherworldly through the magic of photography, 3D, and digital editing. I often construct scenes themed around known stories to establish a common language. Each image takes the audience on an adventure. Using dreams, memories, and associations to tap into my own subconscious, I create works that contain narratives, colors, and symbols that invite my audience to connect with their own deeply personal emotions and allow viewers to self-reflect without judgment as they interpret each scene in their own unique way. Any descriptions that accompany a piece are there as an option to guide the viewer on the journey I see.

2023 Apricity, Group Exhibition, Carey Ellis Show, Bolivar Gallery, University of Kentucky,
Lexington, KY

Mieu Post Cat, Group Exhibition, Carey Ellis Show, Bolivar Gallery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Myths at McConnell Springs, Dragon Con Art Show, Atlanta, GA

Down the Rabbit Hole, Group Exhibition, Gatton Student Center Show,  University of Kentucky Gatton Student Center, Lexington, KY

New Worlds, Group Exhibition, University Open, LexArts Gallery, Lexington KY

New Worlds, Group Exhibition, Foundation Show, Bolivar Gallery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2022 Myths at McConnell Springs, Artist of the Month, North Lime Coffee & Donuts - Clays Mill, Lexington, KY

Astray In The Woods: An Interactive Performance, Group Exhibition, Rules and Play: The Claw, by RunJumpDev.org, Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center, City Gallery, Lexington, KY

2019 Sound Garden, AR, Collaborative Work, Reality Virtually Hackathon, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, (in collaboration with Dan Hart and Xinye Lin)

2018 Catopia, AR, Collaborative Work, Group Project, HVRE & RunJumpDev.org

2017 Cat Match AR, AR, Collaborative Work, Reality Virtually Hackathon, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, (in collaboration with Meredith Wilson, Leonard Wedderburn, and Joe Marchuk) 

Super Furry Neon Cat Heads, VR/MR, Collaborative Work, AltCtrlGDC, San Francisco, CA (in collaboration with Shea Rembold, Leonard Wedderburn, and Brian Webb) 

Super Furry Neon Cat Heads, VR/MR, Collaborative Work, Group Exhibition, Rules And Play, Living Arts and Science Center, Lexington, KY (in collaboration with Shea Rembold, Leonard Wedderburn, and Brian Webb)

Dreams, VR, Collaborative Work, Group Exhibition, Rules And Play, Living Arts and Science Center, Lexington, KY, (Group Project, HVRE & RunJumpDev.org)

Dreams, VR, Collaborative Work, Senses of Place Exhibition, Morlan Gallery, Transylvania University, Lexington, KY, (Group Project, HVRE & RunJumpDev.org)

2016 MindFlow, VR, Collaborative Work, Reality Virtually Hackathon, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, (in collaboration with Shea Rembold, Sourabh Jain, Tim Gallati, and Angelica Tinga )

Mortimer's Mansion, VR, Collaborative Work, LexPlay Gaming Convention, Lexington, KY, (Group Project, HVRE & RunJumpDev.org)

2023 Apricity, Third Place Digital Media Award, Carey Ellis Show, Bolivar Gallery, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

2019 Sound Garden, Best Use of Audio Award, MIT Reality Virtually Hackathon, Cambridge, MA 

2017 Super Furry Neon Cat Heads, First Independent Games Festival Nominee from Kentucky,  AltCtrl GDC, San Francisco, CA

2014 Team Win, AIAEKC Design Slam, Lexington, KY

2017 Owner-Manager / Consultant / Designer, Altelier LLC, Lexington KY  

2008-22 Visualization Specialist, Sherman Carter Barnhart Architects, Lexington KY 

2008 B.Arch., Magna Cum Laude, University of Kentucky, College of Design, Lexington KY