Tobias Fifield

A LITTLE ABOUT ME 

Biography


Toby's family immigrated to New York from Scotland, Italy, Norway and Ireland and settled in San Francisco, early 1900's. He was born and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles. Toby gained his inspiration from his grandfather Patrick Raymond Fifield who worked as a Commercial Artist in Gold Leaf & Screen-printing signage painter & Scenic Painter for Lamp Lighters Theatre in San Francisco, California, and a Great Uncle Brother Alfred Brousseau who was a Monk at the Christian Brothers Winery in Napa California who taught Mathematics at Saint Mary's and has a permanent exhibition of Botanicals in B/W Photography at Stanford University. Toby holds a Bachelor's of Fine Art from the California College of the Arts and a Masters in Education from the University of California Santa Cruz, obtained in South Korea during a 365 hour teaching practicum residency at the National University of Art Education.

ABOUT MY PROCESS

My Work / Artist Statement


I have lived and worked as a teaching Artist for twenty-years collecting rubbish and other found materials, mostly indigenous materials from each culture I have visited; I have been using found scraps of rubbish throughout Asia transforming relief printmaking works from disposable waste, creating modular sculptural forms that I continue to experiment with. My work is a personal documentation; leaving the notion of minimalism with a composition focusing on relationships of individual disconnection of disposable waste contrasted against bold bright bold colors. This methodology in creating a modular wall sculpture represent time as a temporary documentation of our existence in an ever-growing disposable society that is waiting for change. I have adopted a minimalist artistic practice in my work, being subtractive; abstracting the objects that I find into relief mono-prints adding textures, creating modular assemblage installations.

HAVE QUESTIONS?

Representation


I  create engaging art that evokes both the emotional and social from viewers. My new work cultivates a sense of interdependence, promoting social interaction among strangers by increasing viewers’ curiosity in innovative sculptural forms. My artworks have been on public view in Major Art Museums in Asia, International Children’s Museums, Art Galleries, Art Universities and Exposition Centers including the Children's Museum of Art (Japan), the Chosun-ilbo Art Museum (Korea), The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and most recently in Hong Kong/China, India and Thailand. My professional development experience as a designer in industrial design influenced my skills to advance in teaching fellowships and artist-in-residence programs in Korea, India, Japan, and Thailand.  Returned to the U.S. from Asia in 2019 as a re-emerging artist. Please direct all inquiries through the contact form here<.


ARTIST’S CURRICULUM VITAE 

Originally from San Francisco, California

EDUCATION: 

  • 2004-2005 MA., Education, University of California Santa Cruz Ext. & GSNU National Univ of Art Education, Jinju, Korea
  • 1990-1995 Bachelor of Fine Arts; Painting & Sculpture /Industrial Design, California College of the Arts, California, USA 

 SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS: 

  • 2021 'Textures & Patterns' Aug 5-28 Online Group Exhibition as Laguna Gallery, Laguna Beach, California  
  • 2020 'Visual Medicine' Arts and Accessibility Project Grant. Supported by CAC California Arts Council, & NADC, UCLA
  • 2020 'Creativity in Place' COVID-19 Artist Residency (Crisis Residency) founded by artist Kate Hooray Osmond
  • 2020 Mono Relief Assemblages Megalo Print Studio International-Relief-Online-Exhibition, Australia
  • 2016-2017 Gold and Silver sizing ‘Halo’ Series Bracelets, Chiang Mai Design Week 
  • 2013-2014 ‘Tranquility’ Spaghetti Rattan Sculptural Forms, color dyed in pigment. NeNa Art Space, Chiang Mai, Thailand 
  • 2012 Timepiece design for Z Laboratories Ltd, / Zerone Brand, Hong Kong, China 
  • 2011 Collage & Montage exhibit “Rubbish” Artist in Residence, Artmosophere, Bangaluru, India 
  • 2009 Reflections; “Departures”. silkscreen on paper & wood. Myongji University, Seoul, Korea 
  • 2006 Animal Silhouettes; Series. Ink on handmade paper. Traveling art exhibit. Children's Museum of Art, Japan 
  • 2005 'Food for Thought” Art Collage on wood. Group Show at the Chosun-ilbo Art Museum, Seoul, Korea 
  • 1994 “Absolute Dimension” Anaglyphic Painting: Acrylic on canvas Open Studios’ San Francisco, CA 
  • 1993 Anaglyphic Paintings: Acrylic on canvas Gallery; ‘Whatever’ Hayes Valley, San Francisco, CA
  • 1992 Anaglyphic Paintings: Acrylic on canvas ‘Open Studios’ San Francisco, CA 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS: 

  • 2018-2019 Exhibition Titled：Proximity, New works from rubbish, Mono-print Sculptures, Paper Gallery, Xian, China 
  • 2008 Public Art Exhibit, Human scale figures in Papier Mach'e. Seoul Metro Subway, Korea 
  • 2006 Artist exhibitor, Tokyo Big Site exhibition center, Tokyo, Japan exhibited sculptural paper lighting fixtures 
  • 1990 Anaglyphic Paintings: Acrylic on canvas CCAC, Oakland Campus, California 

COLLECTIONS: 

  • 2013-2014 ‘Tranquility’ Spaghetti Rattan Sculptural Forms, color dyed in pigment. NeNa Art Space, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  • 2011 Collage & Montage exhibit “Rubbish” Artist in Residence, Artmosophere, Bangaluru, India
  • 2006 Animal Silhouettes; Series. Ink on handmade paper. On permanent exhibition. Children's Museum of Art, Japan 

 ARTIST IN RESIDENCIES: 

  • 2020  Artist in Residence  Sakura Arts Collective - Honolulu, Hawaii 2020
  • 2020  COVID-19 ARTIST RESIDENCY PROJECT, Creativity In-Place. founded by artist Kate Hooray Osmond
  • 2013 - 2014 MonFai Cultural Centre at NeNa Contemporary Art Space, MaeRim, Chiang Mai, Thailand
  • 2010 - 2012 Artmosophere, Bangaluru, India 

TEACHING FELLOWSHIPS: 

  • 2008 - 2009 Myongji University, Seoul, South Korea 
  • 2002 - 2004 Inha University, Incheon, South Korea 
  • 2005 UCSC & GSNU Gyeongsan National University of Art education, Jinju, South Korea

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS: 

  • 2018 Art Education with Dipont Education, Xian China
  • 2016 The Five Senses A Branding Workshop with SoA+D School of Architecture & Design, Bangkok Thailand

COMMISSIONS: 

  • 2021 Lauhala Hawaiian Weave Mural - Waikiki
  • 2008 Reflections; “Departures”. silkscreen on paper. restaurant, Seoul, Korea 
  • 1998 “Digitoy” during ICONS of Meaning. (Museum Store) SFMoMA Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA 

COMPETITIONS: 

  • 2012 Timepiece design for Z Laboratories Ltd, / Zerone Brand, Hong Kong, China 
  • 2006 “Tobiko Lamp”; Bamboo and Washi Paper - MUJI, Tokyo, Japan 
  • 1994 “Absolute Dimension” Anaglyphic Painting: Acrylic on canvas, Absolute Vodka, N.Y. 

 GRANTS AND AWARDS: 

  • 2022 Grant Recipient California Relief Fund for Artists and Cultural Practitioners YBCA Yerba Buena Center for the Arts and the California Arts Council
  • 2021 Artists’ Fellowship Emergency Grant 
  • 2020 Arts and Accessibility Project Grant Recipient. Supported by CAC California Arts Council, & NADC, UCLA
  • Safety Net Fund, Artists Relief Grant Recipient 2020, Sponsored from the California Intersection for the Arts (The Intersection)
  • San Francisco Arts & Artists Relief Grant Recipient 2020, Awarded by CCI, SFAC, & GFTA
  • Artist Relief Tree COVID-19 Emergency Grant Recepient 2020               
  • CERF+ Craft Emergency Relief Fund Grant Recipient 2019 
  • Dean's Award for integrating the arts in teaching language. National University of Art education, Jinju, South Korea 2005 
  • All College Honors Award for excellence. California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC). 1994 
  • Academic Scholarship. & Pell Grant at The California College of Arts and Crafts (CCAC), 1990-1994


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