Saint Louis Artist – Chad M. Lawson

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GET FAMILIAR

Chad M. Lawson is a true creative soul living and working in downtown St. Louis! Chad is best known for his beautiful abstracts done on salvaged wood doors and his mixing of oils and acrylics to create unique textures and movement. Painting on a hard wood surface can pose quite a challenge but he has mastered the skills to do so. Each piece of art is striking, layered, and begs the viewer to take a closer look!

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BE INSPIRED

Chad finds inspiration in literature and music. Part of his process is to work on a few pieces at a time while listening to a specific musical artist or genre. The type of music influences the intensity of each stroke. One day he might add strong graffiti-like elements while listening to hip-hop and the next day add precise, delicate lines while listening to his favorite cellist.

sankofabird

The sankofa symbol is another important element of his work. Based on a mythical bird with its feet firmly planted forward and its head turned backwards, sankofa signifies the wisdom in learning from the past to ensure a strong future. You can see elements of this symbol in several of his works (see below)!

 

SHOW ME MORE

Want to see more?! Chad currently has pieces on display at the Cortex as well as Whitebox Eatery! Be sure to visit his website to see more of his amazing creations.

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Chad is currently working on a collection investigating the journey and challenges within the adoption and adoptee narrative.  The collection features the adding and subtracting of layers, movement, and color in the search for identity, be it past or present. This work will be revealed at his February 2017 show.

Chad is also writing a book on growth for both ones art and building lasting relationships with clients. He draws on his over twenty years of curating his own work and others, with what would these days be called “pop-up” shows. Chad started doing this in the mid 1990’s in Miami, then St. Louis, and San Francisco. The book will also contain advice and questions for both new and established artists to help them better structure their time, finances, and resources. Be on the lookout for it early next year!

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Photos from my studio visit with Chad!

Viewings by appointment only.

chadmlawson@gmail.com | www.chadmlawson.com | @chadmlawson