Local artist featured at de Young Museum

“It’s a compulsion, filling a space that needs to be filled. And sometimes in abstract ways because language can be limited,” Thomas said.

He recalls being 15 the first time he visited the de Young Museum in San Francisco. Now 27, the former Redwood Shores resident never imagined his art displayed on the museum’s walls. He never even considered it. The selection committee chose Thomas along with 49 other artists from San Mateo County and 883 from the Bay Area from 7,000 submissions. He now lives and works in San Francisco. 

“It’s a great honor, and I am very grateful to have been accepted,” Thomas said. “[Getting selected] offered a great deal of reassurance that I have something that speaks to people and is worth appreciating.”

The de Young Open is a triennial exhibition supporting local artists. The exhibit opens to the public Saturday, Sept. 30, according to a press release.

Thomas’ piece at the exhibit is titled Grey Eyes. He started it by painting a black canvas representing a vast abyss. It is supposed to immerse a viewer into the darkness of the painting. Thomas then painted two eyes in the center. The beauty of his artwork is he is unsure where it will go from there. It is about being comfortable with the unknown, he said.

“I always have been attracted to eyes and the window into a person’s soul,” Thomas said. “The rest of what you see is based heavily on what I am feeling at the time. The polarity of the black and white merging into gray spreading out.”

Thomas tries to create a sense of ambiance, similar to the meditative process, letting it unfold as he paints. Thomas hopes to help his viewers reach a meditative headspace they may have been less connected with before they experienced his artwork.

“I hope my work will help calm people. That is where the ambient aspect comes from. I am attracted to silence, and I want to help them become at ease with this,” Thomas said. “Sort of dealing with the phenomenon of existence.”

His style is abstract expressionist, he said. The committee choosing him for the museum’s exhibit solidified his professional journey as a working artist.

“Figuring out how I coexist with the world around me,” Thomas said. “Art is a means of communication, and visual art can be a fairly direct way of getting into people’s minds and spirits.”

The exhibit is open to museum members Friday, Sept. 28, and Saturday to the public. Tickets are free on Saturday but require a timed ticket for entry into the exhibit. According to the museum’s website, those considering attending should expect travel delays because Hardly Strictly Bluegrass is at Golden Gate Park this weekend and may affect parking and travel times. Thomas said he would be there to answer questions and talk about the work.

Visit https://averythomas.co for more of Thomas’ artwork.