ARTIST STATEMENT
There are aspects of the human experience that are timeless. One of art’s greatest contributions is its ability to reveal these universal truths. At the same time, art reflects the unique details, values, and eccentricities of each culture and historical moment.
An artist’s role is to carry forward what is timeless while translating it for the present. This also means carrying momentum from the past into a future we are actively shaping, sometimes through optimism, sometimes through warning. Over time, artists have also established expectations for the role itself. Activism, mastery of materials, and the use of symbolism have evolved from admirable qualities into essential responsibilities.
Across murals, paintings, engravings, sculptures, and illustrations, I strive to engage fully with this role. My goal is to remain connected to the lineage of artists who came before me while re-contextualizing enduring ideas for a contemporary world."
--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.
