This mural is a love letter to the Red Cedar and the River Trail. Literally from the first day I arrived at MSU to the last, the River Trail was my meditative home. Whether as a form of travel across campus (journeys from East neighborhood to Dem Hall for band were no joke), or a metaphorical highway for my thoughts, the River Trail saw all of my philosophical/spiritual/creative growth for my formative years as an artist. Capturing this reverence, this mural embodies the exciting energy of the Red Cedar while also displaying an aura of serene reminiscence, ushering all passerby to keep journeying down the trail, and to keep exploring who they are along the way.
Amadeus Roy, an abstract constructionist painter/sculptor, was born and raised in Harper Woods, MI. He studied graphic design at Michigan State University for two years before leaving in 2018 to pursue a more customized educational path focused around community knowledge and self teaching through exploration. A practicing artist for five years, Amadeus’s work primarily consists of paintings constructed from hand cut layers of plywood and molding paste centered around the pursuit of a better existence within human-human and human-nature relationships.
He has also begun a journey as a muralist, focusing on these same themes. Now having created the first public mural in his hometown, Harper Woods history, along with participating in the second installment of BLKOUT WALLS Festival in Detroit, MI and others. Since beginning to exhibit his work, Amadeus has shown in many notable galleries throughout metro Detroit, including Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, The Detroit Historical Museum, Liberal Arts Gallery, and 333 Midland. Even while being young in his artistic career, Amadeus has grown his community of collectors across the United States and internationally to Japan as well.
Amadeus states: “Not just as an artist, but as a person, I primarily focus on the human experience, psyche, and soul as they interact with our environment, both natural and societal. My pieces take heavy inspiration from the shapes and movement that make up the natural world, as I look to express both the challenging battles and hopeful reassurances of our day to day life as we work towards a better, more cohesive future. “
