Multi-Hyphenate Artist Richie Shazam Explores Identity and Trauma in New Exhibition

Shazam's autobiographical work at the McLennon Pen Co. Gallery in Austin blurs the line between fantasy and lived experience.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 5:30pm

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An abstract close-up image of shattered glass reflecting dramatic studio lighting, conveying the fragmented and transformative nature of Richie Shazam's art.Richie Shazam's new exhibition in Austin explores the artist's complex relationship with identity and the body through a series of visually striking, autobiographical self-portraits.Austin Today

Richie Shazam, a multi-hyphenate artist known for collapsing the boundaries between art, performance, photography, and media, is showcasing a new exhibition titled "I Was Never Meant To Survive This" at the McLennon Pen Co. Gallery in Austin, Texas. The work is heavily autobiographical, using Shazam's own body as the medium to interrogate identity, gender, and the politics of visibility.

Why it matters

Shazam's exhibition in Texas represents an effort to reach beyond her New York roots and bring her transgressive, subversive art to new audiences, particularly those who may be in opposition to her work and worldview. By "smearing" her art on the walls of an unfamiliar space, Shazam hopes to offer a token of hope and reprieve, while also challenging the status quo and prompting viewers to question their own realities.

The details

The exhibition features a series of self-portraits that blur the line between fantasy and lived experience. One piece, titled "Father Figure," sees Shazam embodying her estranged middle-aged father, a process she describes as "a mind fuck" that was both jarring and cathartic. Shazam says the work is a way of honoring and eulogizing her mother, who passed away when Shazam was 16 years old.

  • Richie Shazam's exhibition "I Was Never Meant To Survive This" is currently on display at the McLennon Pen Co. Gallery in Austin, Texas.
  • The exhibition opened on April 17, 2026.

The players

Richie Shazam

A multi-hyphenate artist known for collapsing the boundaries between art, performance, photography, and media. Her new exhibition in Austin explores themes of identity, gender, and the politics of visibility.

McLennon Pen Co. Gallery

The gallery in Austin, Texas that is hosting Richie Shazam's exhibition "I Was Never Meant To Survive This".

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What they’re saying

“The work is heavily autobiographical. It's stripping away the fantasy—because I feel like fantasy is such a big part of like my identity—but it's almost reinterpreting the fantasy; using fantastical elements to honestly portray these traumatic bits of my life.”

— Richie Shazam, Artist

“I have always had a very intense relationship with my body. My body has always been armor and protection for me. It's definitely one of the many canvases that I use to tell a story.”

— Richie Shazam, Artist

What’s next

Richie Shazam's exhibition is scheduled to travel to other cities after its run in Austin, though specific locations and dates have not yet been announced.

The takeaway

Richie Shazam's deeply personal and transgressive art challenges traditional boundaries and invites viewers to question their own realities. By bringing her work to unfamiliar spaces like Texas, Shazam aims to reach new audiences and foster dialogue, even with those who may be in opposition to her worldview.