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 over-thinking, 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 simply 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. I am fascinated with symbolism, 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 it.
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 favour 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 state of mind on any given day. Escape into my world for a little while.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: Todd Lawson’s artwork has graced many international commercial projects and has been displayed in art galleries throughout North America; including Atlanta, Los Angeles, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle, Toronto, Utah, Vancouver and the UK. Born in Canada, Todd grew up in Southern and Central Florida. After a turbulent youth built loud angry 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 currently lives in Burlington, Ontario with his wife; fellow artist Elesavet and two twin daughters.
PRESS, PUBS & SPEAKING
PUBLISHED WORKS
- Art Book Visitors
- Art Book Art of Todd Lawson: Vol.1
- Children’s Book Song Bird
SPEAKING
- RGD Creative Directions Conference Opening speaker, 2015
- Sheridan College Guest speaker, 2004
EDUCATION
- 2002 Advanced Illustration, Sheridan College (1yr Post-Grad)
- 2001 Illustration, Sheridan College (3yrs)
- 1999 Art Fundamentals, Sheridan College (1yr)
PRESS
- APÉRO Catalogue | August 2019 ‘Depth’ issue, featured work: “I Am No House Wife“
- 1340 Art Magazine | Q4 2019 Issue, Featured Work: Two Paintings from the World Rediscovered Collection
- Encore Magazine feature | November 2004 Issue
- Hamilton Spectator Newspaper | artist/show interview
- View magazine | artist & show interview
- Antipoda | member & interview
- Noun | interview & feature
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Latest Website Updates
- FREE PERSONAL DELIVERY by the artist within the Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent regionFind these and more hand-painted works to add to your home or business collection.
- PRESS RELEASE: 2022 ‘Spirits’ Solo Exhibition by Todd Lawson at Elaine Fleck GalleryThis July I will be exhibiting new and recent work at my third solo exhibit to open at Elaine Fleck Gallery located in the Parkdale neighbourhood of Toronto. This year marks a continued evolution of my work as I move away from the “visitors” in past works to “spirits”.
- PRESS RELEASE: 2021 ‘Visitors’ Solo Exhibition by Todd Lawson at Elaine Fleck GalleryI have faced two culture shocks in my life. The first was moving to Florida at age 9 and being dumped into an alternate universe where tourism, retirees and locals intentionally segregated themselves into cultural bubbles and where I…