Artist · b. 1978
About Todd Lawson
Todd Lawson’s artwork has graced many international commercial projects and has been displayed in galleries throughout North America and the UK, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, Utah and Vancouver.
Though born in Canada, Todd grew up in Southern and Central Florida. After a turbulent youth built around a love of loud music, sketchbooks, skateboarding and friends, he left the South to return to Canada, where he attended Sheridan College’s Illustration and Post-Graduate Illustration programs. He started as a commercial artist and transitioned into a gallery artist in 2005.
In 2010 his work progressed to larger pieces and a more traditional, painterly style, away from its earlier graphic, surreal pop-art style, with a focus on landscapes and landmarks. The work has covered topics from the fantastical to dystopian theme parks to the French Quarter in New Orleans to known landmarks and locations across Canada.
He lives in Kingsville, Ontario, a block from Lake Erie, and continues to focus on capturing landscapes with a twist.
Artist statement
I could tell you about how deep my work delves; personally, emotionally, and conceptually. I could tell you how much time I spend overthinking, sketching, and painting, how ideas get stuck in my head until I can think of nothing else, how I get stuck in my head, how the work juggles themes, concepts, and narrative metaphors on subjects that interest me. But in reality, I am a curious person by nature who is more comfortable expressing ideas and emotions visually and like to create work you and I can escape into and capture others in a moment.
I am fascinated with symbolism, landmarks, roadside attractions, pop culture, nostalgia, and human nature. I will often go looking for a new subject or point of view to explore and become obsessed with. Work is often rendered with precision and detail as I possess a distinctly logical mindset and am drawn to trying to solve different problems visually. However, I don’t allow reality to trap me and favor contemporary surrealism over pure representational work. This allows me to use various imagined figures, animals, and objects like actors, props, and backdrops on a theatre stage. Creating worlds with mixed stories and points of view for my audience to digest, discuss, and reflect upon. Most importantly feeding my curiosity.
It’s been called whimsical, too sassy, awkward, smart, pretty, odd, offensive, challenging, and all sorts of adjectives. I prefer to simply say it reflects my interest in creating a different world. A world with a twist or two. Escape into my world for a little while.
Beyond the studio
Since 2001 Todd has also created award-winning advertising, brands and digital products as a creative director and designer.