Both ephemeral and energetic, the pictorial gesture of Tom Holden’s works is minimal at its core, condensing a multitude of disparate phenomena through essential line and colour. Visual elements from everyday life, ancient and contemporary culture, metropolitan and natural landscapes – from the Mediterranean sphere to Berlin, where Tom spent over ten years – inform an intimate pictorial vocabulary. Poetic and rational modes visibly coexist, resulting in subtle distortions that unexpectedly engage perception, as abstraction suddenly reveals a latent figurative layer or a cryptographic element. Acrylic on large canvases is the signature medium. Crayon strokes and ink inscriptions often scratch the surfaces, alluringly blurring the line between calligraphy and graffiti. Graphically detailed objects are transfigured through washes of colour into an oneiric dimension.
Born in Lancashire, Tom Holden studied Fine Art and Design in England, Germany, and Italy. He has been working for some of the most prestigious car design studios in the world for nearly two decades. He currently lives in Royal Leamington Spa with his wife and son.
