Timo Hanley Smith

Timo Hanley's paintings emerge out of a conflux of influences as varied as classical art, cutting-edge film, revolutionary street art and legendary samurai. This incredible range makes his paintings just as accessible as the genres that mark their roots.  The works expose an artist who strives to create works that are socio-politically relevant, even as they raise the bar for anti-establishment messaging. They bear the marks of conflicting subcultures, even as they maintain an urban cool/street chic that is now increasingly part of popular culture. In fact, they tell the story of how and why street art has made its way into the fine art realm.

Brazen with street smarts and colored by urban hip, Hanley's art melts the aesthetic cultures of Skateboarding, Punk Rock, Hip Hop and Reggae into a new visual language. In bridging together "high" and "low" art, Hanley "embraces conceptual studies of composition, shapes, color, metaphors, the human condition, pop symbols and icons. These elements are all intertwined to engage the viewer in a manner, which evokes a reflective contemplation." Timo Hanley has studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and holds a BFA from the Syracuse School of Visual and Performing Arts. He has also studied Buddhist Art at the Chicago Art Institute