Artist Profile Tomo Avalean

Avalean’s remarkable explorations are sensitive and emotionally charged.

Artist Statement

Nest is a small yet powerful piece that speaks to the struggle of trust and vulnerability in a world that often feels cruel. It’s an intimate exploration of fragility, resilience, and the complexities of seeking safety when the environment feels anything but secure. In many ways, this work feels like a self-portrait, with the bird serving as a stand-in for my younger self. The hands cradle the bird close and tight as the bramble around the two encloses in. There is a lot of fear in this piece.

Artist Biography

I am Tomo Avalean, a painter currently based in Providence, Rhode Island. I paint to tell tales about the queer body and what it feels like to have a body. I’m constantly exploring human relations. What does it mean to hold hands with one another? What does it mean to hurt one another? I find myself constantly learning how to deal with big emotion through my paintbrush.

I’ve been consumed by thoughts of relationships and the complexity of human connection. I find myself asking questions about the nature of intimacy and the boundaries that define it. I am curious about two being one. I want to know more about the difference between me and us. I’m drawn to the tension between individuality and togetherness, wondering what it is to actually separate. My work also touches upon an ongoing exploration of the lines and limits between love and hate, intimacy and estrangement.