ARTIST STATEMENT
“Much like during the European Renaissance, we live in a time when wealth and
prosperity are siphoned from certain parts of the world and concentrated in others,
leaving deep despair in their wake. For those of us fortunate enough to live in relative
safety and stability, the violence and chaos unfolding elsewhere can create a constant,
underlying stress. Recognizing that our comfort often comes at the expense of others
and, even the planet itself, reveals an uncomfortable truth: our position is unsustainable,
and likely to be challenged by what the future brings.
In such a tumultuous world, it would almost be strange not to feel a pit in your stomach.
Instead of suppressing that feeling, imagine the pit as a real place - one that expands
beyond the boundaries of your physical body. As you explore this inner landscape, you
begin to understand your place within the broader story of time.
As descendants of those who survived on this planet, this connection between land and
spirituality is woven into our identities. In other words: you inhabit a space, but the
space also inhabits you.
--DISTORT
BIOGRAPHY
Combining classical training with the intense creative energy of graffiti, DISTORT has impacted the streets and galleries alike. Now living in Jersey City, DISTORT earned a BFA from the University of Pennsylvania and a Certificate in Painting from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Following this period, DISTORT developed a body of work combining sculptural installation and painting. In 2016, he presented these now-iconic “scrolls” and “shields” in a solo exhibition at the Works on Paper Gallery in Philadelphia. DISTORT has exhibited extensively in the Tristate Area and completed murals in Miami, Istanbul, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and New York, as well as locations across North Jersey. His project, located just outside of the Holland Tunnel, is one of the largest murals by a single artist in New Jersey. DISTORT continues to create challenging work inspired by his admiration of classicism and the intensity of the present.
