Artist Statement - Tobias Brill

My work celebrates the imagination. I work "brain to paper" using intuition, being open, direct, and taking chances. The internal world overlaps the external, and underlying currents of thought and feeling are exposed. There exists a psychological aspect that chronicles the wanderings of my mind, delving into the realm of magical realism. The work is in part a meditation on and research into the hard-to-explain occurrences that happen outside of rationality. Intense situations are depicted. They are libidinal, grotesque, and often other worldly. An atmosphere of danger and freedom exists, and there is a battle between good and evil, beauty and power. I find myself within the lines, in the midst of the ongoing process of transformation and evolution.

Biography

Tobias Brill was born in Northern California in 1972, where he lived until he was ten. He then moved to Hawaii with his mom. He has also lived in Southern CA, Brooklyn, and Buffalo, NY, each time returning to The Big Island.

Growing up in rural places like Mendicino County and the district of Puna, his playgrounds included redwood forests, rain forests and black sand beaches. His city experience was crowded and noisy but also rich with art and culture.

As a child, Tobias was influenced by R rated movies and underground comics, as well as a counter culture environment including hippies, drugs, alcohol, and living “off the grid.”

Drawing was always a hobby until, with the encouragement of a professor, he switched his major from Liberal Arts to Art at The University of Hawaii at Hilo. Since that time he has been committed to art making as a primary endeavor.

For fun, Tobias tinkers with the guitar and martial arts, and plays soccer. He’s happy to have his own studio and hopes the lava doesn’t take it.