Todd Lawson

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 around 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 their twin daughters.

Education:

Sheridan College Illustration (Post Graduate, 1 yr) - 2002 Sheridan Collage Illustration (3yr) - 2001
Sheridan Collage Art Fundamentals (1yr)1998

SOLO EXIBITIONS

July 2022, "SPIRITS", Elaine Fleck Gallery
July 2021, Elaine Fleck Gallery
June 2020, Elaine Fleck Gallery

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

August 2024, Elaine Fleck Gallery
December 2022, "Represented", Elaine Fleck Gallery
July/Aug 2023 "Represented", Elaine Fleck Gallery
January 2021, Elaine Fleck Gallery
September 2020, "Todd Lawson & Brandon Steen", Elaine Fleck Gallery
2019, Fleck Fine Art, Elaine Fleck Gallery

PUBLIC SPEAKING 
Opening speaker at 2015 RGD Creative Directions Conference Guest speaker at Sheridan College, 2004

PRESS:

ASSOCIATIONS:
CARFAC Ontario (Active)