Inspired by a diverse array of source material, Tomo Campbell’s large-scale oil paintings are produced in a manner that he sees as akin to free jazz: constantly altering, extending and breaking down conventions. His abstracted depictions of ‘traditional’ subjects such as hunting, parades and explorers are, as he puts it, ‘never quite solid or whole’, yet they exude an extraordinarily rich sense of vision. ‘I try to paint in a way that makes the paint vibrate’, says Campbell, ‘to make it look light and delicate and on the cusp of shifting’. His bold, layered arrangements of complementary colours, reminiscent of the Rococo, offer multiple focal points and keep the eye in constant motion. Balancing activity and stasis, confidence and doubt, his works occupy a fertile space somewhere between the known and the undiscovered.
Tomo Campbell's (b. 1988 lives and works in London) recent solo exhibitions include 'There', Cob Gallery, London (2018); and 'If You Know How To Get Here, Come', Gallery Volatire, Melbourne (2017). The artist has also featured in numerous group exhibitions and fairs including Dallas Art Fair, Texas, USA (2017); Blacks Club, London (2016); Palm Tree Gallery, London (2015); Rushgrove House, London (2012); and Motion Gallery, London (2010). He was artist in residence at the English National Ballet between 2012-2013.
