“The walls around you are not real”
“Our lives are full of walls and social boundaries that attempt to suppress us, but we can break through them with art.”
-Phil Hawkins
Biography
Phil Hawkins is a LA based multidisciplinary contemporary artist focusing on installation and sculpture. Upon receiving his BFA from Bellevue University of Nebraska, Hawkins has worked in design, foundries, and fabrication studios with artist colleagues. Previously Hawkins’s famous work studio was located in the historic First National Bank headquarters abandoned vault space built in 1917. Hawkins’s explorations of architecture in New York, Sweden, and Puerto Rico have had a major influence on his work. Phil’s work has also been published in periodicals including VoyageLA, The Reader, Vogue Spain, the Omaha World-Herald, Fox 42 News channel and won several OOEA awards including 2017 Best 3-D artist, Best solo exhibition, and best group show in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2018 the United States Patent and Trademark Office issued a patent for Hawkins’s jewelry design.
CV: Exhibitions/Press/Corporate collection
Statement
“My art is multidisciplinary using drawing, painting, sculpture and installation. The combination of these elements are closely related to different experiences throughout my life. As an artist I feel a strong desire to investigate these forms of art and use them as tools to express my vision of how I see the world.”
“My goal is to create uplifting designs that inspire individual progress and compliment the movement of the world around us. While observing society in our everyday lives, I conceptualize logical designs based on my studies of society, organic and inorganic architecture. Once my design is sketched, the final stage is deciding on the colors and textural applications. I take color samples and textures from the surroundings and incorporate them into the design. As an added element I create communication through interchanging light, reflection and multiple angles. Its sensitivity to light and personal positions of engagement presents different experiences each encounter as the design distorts 3d perspective.
3x Omaha Entertainment Arts Awards (OEAA’s) winner
5x OEAA nominee
Hawkins was one of 11 artist selected in 2016 for the “Nebraska Rising” exhibition at Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, and has had work commissioned from Joslyn Art Museum while carrying his jewelry and other merchandise in the Joslyn Art Museum Gift Shop. On August 25th 2017 Phil exhibited a site specific installation at the J2 gallery in Chicago’s Wicker Park/Bucktown arts district. Phil was one of four artists selected to exhibit in the 2017 “One Wall” exhibition at J2 gallery. The Lois Lambert Gallery & Gallery of Functional Art in Santa Monica California also carries a line of Phil’s Jewelry.
OWH photo of the First National Bank vault spaces converted into art/work studio
Phil Hawkins studio was located in the underground vault spaces of the 1600 Farnam Bank building which was built in 1917. The space was converted into a secluded art/work studio and venue for the arts. Phil was working from this vault space since 2010 up until April 2017. After April 2017 Phil moved his studio space to the Capital district in Omaha, Nebraska. While having this creative studio Phil moved to Los Angeles to set up another art studio near dtla where he currently resides. Since July 2017 Phil has been working in LA and continuing his art involvements in the Midwest with The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts yearly Annual Art Auction.
