Tori Thomas
Lately, I have been thinking about the problem surrounding portrayal of figures. How does one depict people as more than paint on a canvas? And how can paint be used to bring life and specificity to a figure? I have been exploring ways to paint people that I know and care about, and ways to create innate connection through a composition. During the semester we have all faced our own challenges and I was lucky to have the support of my fellow peers and friends. The concept of familiarity, a conversation, or a connection is something many of us are missing in our current time. However, the same feeling and memory can be found through making and viewing.
"Chitchat," 2020, oil on canvas, 30” x 40”
Tori Thomas
TYL ‘ 21 | BFA, Painting
Tori Thomas was born in Altoona, Pennsylvania in 1994 and now lives and works in Philadelphia, PA.
Tori attended Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2013 pursuing a degree in psychology. After Tori graduated with her BA in Psychology she began working as a Behavioral Therapist at a local school in Berwick, PA. In 2018 she relocated to Philadelphia with her partner and started a new job in behavioral therapy. The upheaval of her life in rural Pennsylvania offered Tori an opportunity to pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing at Temple University.
Tori is becoming known for her figurative works, often focusing on portraying people in places she inhabits and reflecting on the relationships between figures. Tori’s works incorporate elements of drawing and line to emphasize connections between figures. Relying heavily on experimentation with mediums, Tori employs a variety of materials and techniques to talk about relationships and connection between humans.