Es Devlin: influences, peers and legacy

Every connection with its receipt

Es Devlin builds sculptural, kinetic stages that double as public artworks — from Kanye West and Beyoncé tours to the Tony-winning Lehman Trilogy and Trafalgar Square's lion. This mix traces her lineage back through the scenographic revolutionaries who dissolved the barrier between light, body and architecture, out through London's theatre and installation scenes, and forward into the designers now shaping arena spectacle as art.

The Kynda mix for Es Devlin

• Key Influence · Laterna Magika by Josef Svoboda (1958). The Czech scenographer's Laterna Magika fused live performers with multi-screen projection and kinetic surfaces at Expo 58, inventing the vocabulary Devlin works in: film mapped onto moving sculptural form rather than painted scenery. Svoboda's belief that stage space should be a machine of light and time, revealed through transformation instead of illustration, underpins her rotating cubes, LED monoliths and projection-clad architecture for opera, drama and arena tours alike.
• Influencia Obscura · Music and the Art of the Theatre by Adolphe Appia (1899). Appia argued that painted backdrops were a lie and that a performer's three-dimensional body demanded sculpted platforms animated by moving light — his 'rhythmic spaces' were essentially blank architecture activated by illumination and music. That century-old proposition is the hidden theoretical root of Devlin's light-mapped kinetic volumes, where the set stays abstract and geometry plus projection carry all the emotional weather of the piece.
• Local Roots · 4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane (2000). Devlin's early career ran through London's fringe and new-writing houses — the Bush, the Gate, the Royal Court — during exactly the years the capital's in-yer-face playwrights demanded bare, conceptually ruthless staging. Kane's final text, which specifies almost nothing physical, is the emblem of that scene's challenge to designers: build an image that holds a play with no scenery, a discipline visible in Devlin's reductive later work.
• Beyond the Medium · Metamorphoses by Ovid (8). Devlin read English literature before training as a designer, and text remains her generative material: she works from language toward form, and words literally surface in her pieces as engraved, projected and crowd-sourced poetry. Ovid's endless catalogue of bodies turning into trees, stone and water is the governing myth of her practice — stages that transform rather than depict, architecture caught mid-change between one state and the next.
• Peer · The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (set design) by Bunny Christie (2012). Christie is Devlin's closest British contemporary: her gridded, LED-mapped box for Curious Incident at the National Theatre turned a stage into a thinking machine of light and numbers, winning Tony and Olivier awards in the same design culture Devlin's Lehman Trilogy later occupied. Both built careers from new-writing theatre into technologically ambitious authorship, and both shifted the public perception of designer as co-author.
• From the Canon · Please Feed the Lions by Es Devlin (2018). For London Design Festival, Devlin added a fifth red lion to Trafalgar Square that swallowed words typed by the public and spoke back a collective poem generated from them, text crawling across its body in LED. It distils her method outside the theatre: literature, sculpture, light and audience participation fused into one civic object, and shows how the stage designer became an artist making work for crowds rather than ticketed houses.
• Key Collaborator · 1917 by Sam Mendes (2019). Mendes directed The Lehman Trilogy, the production that brought Devlin her Tony, and his continuous-take war film reveals the sensibility behind that partnership: narrative carried by unbroken movement through transforming space rather than by cuts or scene changes. The revolving glass box and the roving camera solve the same problem — how to let one continuous perspective travel across vast distances of time and geography.
• Legacy · Love On Tour (stage design) by Chiara Stephenson (2021). Stephenson, who has designed for Harry Styles, Björk and St. Vincent, represents the generation of British designers working in the authored, art-directed arena idiom Devlin established — where a tour set is a sculptural concept with its own exhibition-ready identity rather than a rig. The treatment of the concert stage as a legitimate site of contemporary art practice is the inheritance Devlin's career made possible.

What influenced Es Devlin

• Four Quartets. Four Quartets (T. S. Eliot) — culture for Es Devlin (openlibrary.org)
• Metamorphoses by Ovid (8). Metamorphoses (Ovid) — culture for Es Devlin (openlibrary.org)
• Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (1962). Silent Spring (Rachel Carson) — culture for Es Devlin (openlibrary.org)
• Laterna Magika by Josef Svoboda (1958). Laterna Magika (Josef Svoboda) — titan for Es Devlin
• The Oresteia (National Theatre design) by Jocelyn Herbert (1981). The Oresteia (National Theatre design) (Jocelyn Herbert) — titan for Es Devlin
• Music and the Art of the Theatre by Adolphe Appia (1899). Music and the Art of the Theatre (Adolphe Appia) — ghost for Es Devlin
• Einstein on the Beach by Robert Wilson (1976). Einstein on the Beach (Robert Wilson) — titan for Es Devlin
• Serpentine Dance by Loie Fuller (1896). Serpentine Dance (Loie Fuller) — ghost for Es Devlin

Peers and kindred spirits

• Take That by Take That. Devlin lists Take That’s Progress and Circus stadium tours in her work portfolio. “Take That's stadium tour designed by Es Devlin. Image courtesy of Es Devlin” (IIDA)
• Louis Vuitton by Louis Vuitton. Devlin created the set for a Louis Vuitton Cruise show with its creative director. “Devlin collaborated with Louis Vuitton 's creative director, French fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquiere, to create the set for the brand's recent show in Brazil.” (Dezeen)
• Yves Saint Laurent by Saint Laurent (1936). Devlin lists a YSL menswear show in her portfolio; this establishes work for the fashion house, not a personal collaboration with its founder. “YSL - Mens SS 2023 YSL - Mens SS The Weeknd - After Hours til Dawn - Stadium tour” (Es Devlin)
• Miley Cyrus by Miley Cyrus (1992). Devlin lists Miley Cyrus’s Bangerz as a project in her work portfolio. “Miley Cyrus – Bangerz Miley Cyrus – Bangerz A Midsummer Night's Dream – TFANA NYC” (Es Devlin)
• Chanel by Chanel. The fashion-work list records a Chanel collaboration. “2020 AW 2021 Chanel Celebration 2022 Dior SS Men 2023 YSL SS Men” (Wikipedia)
• Beyoncé by Beyoncé. Devlin lists Beyoncé’s Formation Tour in her work portfolio. “Louis Vuitton – Cruise Rio Louis Vuitton – Cruise Rio Beyoncé – Formation Tour Beyoncé – Formation Tour” (Es Devlin)
• Stormzy by Stormzy (2010). The concert-work list identifies a Brit Awards project with Stormzy. “2018 Brit Awards Stormzy Experience + Innocence Tour U2 Coachella The Weeknd” (Wikipedia)
• Sam Mendes. Devlin designed scenery for a production directed by Mendes. (also via 1917) “Her scenic design for The Lehman Trilogy , directed by Sam Mendes , won her the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design.” (Wikipedia)
• Dior by Dior. Devlin lists a Dior x Travis Scott project in her work portfolio. “Dior x Travis scott Dior x Travis scott Forest for Change - Somerset House 2021” (Es Devlin)
• The Rolling Stones by The Rolling Stones. The concert-work list includes a Rolling Stones Hyde Park project. “2013 Hyde Park Rolling Stones Electric Tour Pet Shop Boys Yeezus Kanye West” (Wikipedia)
• U2 (1976). U2 is named among artists for whom Devlin collaborated on stage designs. (also via Songs of Experience) “Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including Kanye West , Beyoncé , Adele , U2 , The Weeknd , Lorde , and Pet Shop Boys” (Wikipedia)
• Kanye West. West hired Devlin for a tour, beginning a long-term collaboration. (also via Yeezus) “In 2005, Kanye West hired her to design his Touch the Sky tour , marking the start of a long-term collaboration” (Wikipedia)
• Saint Laurent by Saint Laurent. Devlin designed a set element for the Saint Laurent fashion house’s menswear show. “A glowing metal ring designed by set designer Es Devlin framed fashion house Saint Laurent 's Spring Summer 2023 menswear show in the Moroccan desert .” (Dezeen)
• Travis Scott by Travis Scott. Devlin’s portfolio lists the Dior x Travis Scott project. “Dior x Travis scott Dior x Travis scott Forest for Change - Somerset House 2021” (Es Devlin)
• Dr. Dre. Devlin worked on a halftime show featuring Dr. Dre. “Devlin's work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show , featuring Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar , and Eminem , earned her three Emmy Awards” (Wikipedia)
• Royal Opera House. Devlin is said to have worked with the Royal Opera House. “and Pet Shop Boys and worked with institutions such as the Royal Opera House in London.” (Wikipedia)
• 1917 by Sam Mendes (2019). 1917 (Sam Mendes) — collaborator for Es Devlin “Her scenic design for The Lehman Trilogy, directed by Sam Mendes, won her the Tony Award for Best Scenic Design.” (en.wikipedia.org)
• Eminem. Devlin worked on a halftime show featuring Eminem. “Devlin's work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show , featuring Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar , and Eminem , earned her three Emmy Awards” (Wikipedia)
• Lyndsey Turner. Turner directed a Hamlet production for which Devlin designed. “For Hamlet director Lyndsey Turner, Devlin “doesn't design what a play wants but what it needs.”” (Wikipedia)
• Jay-Z. The concert-work list identifies Jay-Z as an artist on a Devlin-listed tour. “Watch The Throne Arena Tour Kanye West & Jay-Z Progress Live Take That” (Wikipedia)
• Mary J. Blige. The concert-work list names Mary J. Blige among the halftime-show artists. “2022 Super Bowl Halftime Show DR DRE with Kendrick Lamar , Eminem , Mary J Blige , Snoop Dogg , 50 Cent” (Wikipedia)
• Le Cirque Invisible. Devlin prepared props for the circus company. “While undertaking her studies, she prepared the props for Le Cirque Invisible, the circus company founded by Victoria Chaplin” (Wikipedia)
• Fraser T. Smith. The text explicitly identifies a collaboration between Devlin and Smith. “In 2021, her collaboration with rapper Dave and producer Fraser T. Smith won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.” (Wikipedia)
• Dave. The text explicitly identifies a collaboration between Devlin and Dave. “In 2021, her collaboration with rapper Dave and producer Fraser T. Smith won the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song.” (Wikipedia)
• Rupert Goold. Devlin worked on a play directed by Goold. “She also worked on The Hunt, a play directed by Rupert Goold, which premiered in London and transferred to St. Ann's Warehouse in New York in 2024.” (Wikipedia)
• Adele (2006). Devlin designed scenery for an Adele performance. “That same year, her scenic design for Adele 's performance at Griffith Observatory won five additional Emmy Awards.” (Wikipedia)
• Carlo Rovelli (1956). Devlin collaborated with Rovelli on a performance. “Also in 2018, she collaborated with theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on a performance of The Order of Time, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch” (Wikipedia)
• Muse. The concert-work list pairs the Resistance tour with Muse. “2009–2010 Monster Ball US Theatre Tour Lady Gaga The Resistance Tour Muse” (Wikipedia)
• The Weeknd (1990). The Weeknd is named among artists for whom Devlin collaborated on stage designs. “Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including Kanye West , Beyoncé , Adele , U2 , The Weeknd , Lorde , and Pet Shop Boys” (Wikipedia)
• Yinka Ilori. Devlin and Ilori co-designed the statuettes. “She also co-designed the Brit Awards statuettes with artist Yinka Ilori .” (Wikipedia)
• Pet Shop Boys. Pet Shop Boys are named among artists for whom Devlin collaborated on stage designs. “Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including Kanye West , Beyoncé , Adele , U2 , The Weeknd , Lorde , and Pet Shop Boys” (Wikipedia)
• Trevor Nunn. Nunn invited Devlin to design the production's set. “In 1998, she made her National Theatre debut when Trevor Nunn invited her to design the set for Harold Pinter 's Betrayal .” (Wikipedia)
• Kendrick Lamar (1987). Devlin worked on a halftime show featuring Lamar. “Devlin's work on the Super Bowl Halftime Show , featuring Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar , and Eminem , earned her three Emmy Awards” (Wikipedia)
• Lorde. Lorde is named among artists for whom Devlin collaborated on stage designs. “Throughout her career, Devlin has collaborated on large-scale stage designs for artists including Kanye West , Beyoncé , Adele , U2 , The Weeknd , Lorde , and Pet Shop Boys” (Wikipedia)
• Nicolas Ghesquière by Nicolas Ghesquière. Ghesquière and Devlin collaborated on the set for a Louis Vuitton show in Brazil. “Devlin collaborated with Louis Vuitton 's creative director, French fashion designer Nicolas Ghesquiere, to create the set for the brand's recent show in Brazil.” (Dezeen)
• Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch narrated a performance on which Devlin worked. “she collaborated with theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli on a performance of The Order of Time, narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch” (Wikipedia)
• Lady Gaga (1986). The concert-work list pairs Devlin's design work on the Monster Ball tour with Lady Gaga. “2009–2010 Monster Ball US Theatre Tour Lady Gaga The Resistance Tour Muse” (Wikipedia)
• Joey Yung. The concert-work list pairs Pretty Crazy Concert with Joey Yung. “2019 Pretty Crazy Concert Joey Yung 2021 ONE NIGHT ONLY Adele” (Wikipedia)
• National Theatre. Devlin designed a set for a National Theatre production. “In 1998, she made her National Theatre debut when Trevor Nunn invited her to design the set for Harold Pinter 's Betrayal .” (Wikipedia)
• Wire. Wire is identified as Devlin's first concert-design collaboration. “In 2003, she ventured into concert design with her first collaboration, working with the band Wire.” (Wikipedia)

…and 10 more on the map above.

Who Es Devlin influenced

• Love On Tour (stage design) by Chiara Stephenson (2021). Love On Tour (stage design) (Chiara Stephenson) — legacy for Es Devlin
• Glastonbury Pyramid Stage designs by Misty Buckley (2014). Glastonbury Pyramid Stage designs (Misty Buckley) — legacy for Es Devlin