Tobias Keene

Tobias Keene is an accomplished figurative painter born in Stratford-upon-Avon, England in 1963.  His father, Arthur Keene, is a respected painter as was his grandfather who painted under the wartime alias of “Van Art.”  Keene was the obvious recipient of his family’s artistic teachings and knowledge.

Keene’s recent work is an exploration of the human condition, focusing on fragility, power, innocence and isolation. Paintings of isolated images connote collective consciousness, and his symbolic subjects span from powerful figureheads, innocent child, to wild life. He uses a lot of negative space to indicate displacement and long shadows to indicate the passage of time.

The Los Angles-based painted has built a loyal clientele within Hollywood’s elite circles as well as in various other prestigious private collections which include Harrod’s Collection, Wallis Annenberg, Ahmet and Mica Ertegun and Brett and Carol Cheng-Mayer.  During the Sao Paulo Bienal, international art collector Kim Esteve held a private exhibition of which all of Keene′s exhibited work was sold.

A few of his exhibtions include:

• 2008 Private Exhibition of Kim Esteve, Sao Paulo, Brazil
• 2008 “Hard Left” Merry Karnowsky, Berlin
• 2006–2003 Earl McGrath Gallery, Los Angeles
• 2003 “Christie’s Group Show,” Christies, Beverly Hills
• 2003 “Chouninard Foundation,” Chait Gallery, Los Angeles
• 2002 Chrysalis Group Show, Bergamont Station, Los Angeles
• 2001 Diane Ferris Gallery, Vancouver
• 1998 Spencer Brownstone Gallery, NY
• 1996 Rankin Gallery, London
• 1994 “Royal Academy” Burlington House, London