Alexander Tamahn

Artist Statement

I believe art is a powerful vehicle with which to carry profound narratives. Visual art, for me, has always been rooted in catharsis and a means to express creativity. I embrace the ongoing contrasts and ironic juxtapositions life regularly presents us with, making use of traditional and unconventional mediums to share my human experience through my art.

Hands have been a recurring them through much of my recent work. The character and nuance of our hands develop only through the lives we live with them. I personally connect with hands because of how communicative and expressive hand gestures are; we intuitively understand most gesticulations. I have a sibling who depends on my American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate, ergo, I grew up with a very personal relationship with hand study and appreciation.

Vibrant, rich color palettes and dynamic textures are significant components of my aesthetic. In life, there exists perpetual conflict, no matter how subtle or imperceptible. I engage with a lot of social impact and humanist themes in my work. Through visual art, I am privileged to articulate heavier narratives balanced with intentional use of bright, inspiring color palettes which signify an awareness of beauty amidst painful and unnerving experiences.

I am fortunate to process the pain and complexity of the human experience through visual art, offering the byproduct as a lens through which to look unflinchingly at what is, or perhaps is not, there.

Alexander Tamahn is a multi-disciplinary visual artist who currently lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He engages a great deal with concerns of social impact and equity through his work. Tamahn is an active member of Black Moon Art Collective, Latimer-Cooksey Arts & Cultural Foundation Board, and Living Arts Gallery of Tulsa Education Board while engaging in a litany of creative endeavors and opportunities to build local and global communities. 

His work has been featured on HGTV and DIY networks. He has facilitated workshops for hundreds of youth attending Art Prize, one of the world’s largest contemporary art competitions held in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has completed work for major films and multiple city-wide campaigns, and has work in private collections throughout the U.S., however is greatest contributions will always be enhancing outcomes for the most vulnerable members of the community.

@alexandertamahn

Alexander is a member of the Tulsa-based Black Moon Collective and his work was included in Inclusion in Art at The Art Hall, December 7, 2018 - March 31, 2019.