by Annalise Frank May 12, 2026
An early-career Detroit artist influenced by performers like Beyoncé, who blend music, fashion and visuals, is getting his solo debut at Playground Detroit.
The big picture: Raymar started out documenting everyday home life on a smartphone. His art practice now includes filmmaking, photography, fashion and performance.
If you go: Raymar’s exhibition “Lightstruck Phenom” premieres with a reception 6-9pm Saturday and runs through June 20.
• Hours at Playground, 2845 Gratiot Ave., are noon-5pm Thursday-Saturday or by request.
• Exhibitions and programming are free.
Zoom in: The work embraces a universal, human concept — that the only way out is through, and that moving forward in life often means being able to handle and accept discomfort.
The intrigue: Per Playground’s summary of the exhibition, the inspiration for this theme comes from a guided meditation exercise Raymar tried in college.
• The exercise involved visualizing a door that led to an unknown area. For Raymar, the door was heavy metal and wouldn’t budge.
• That door “became a lasting metaphor for uncertainty, stagnation, and the psychological weight of transition …”
LIGHTSTRUCK PHENOM is the second of Playground Detroit’s 2025 Emerging Artist Fellowship series and will be on display until Saturday, June 20. An artist talk is slated for Saturday, June 6 from 3-5 p.m. with a closing reception on June 20, 1-6 p.m. For more information, see playgrounddetroit.com.
