Chris Topper's work is rooted in the unique and imaginative world of oil painting and drawing. Based in Portland, Oregon, Chris is devoted to creating artwork that boldly captures the complexity, beauty, and fragility of the human experience. His work evokes an aesthetically pleasing yet profound perspective on the challenges of life that carries the viewer away to a dreamland of vibrant color and introspective emotion. He explores existential questions such as identity, memory, and mortality. With an eye for the unusual, his work is a visual discovery of an unfathomable world - a place where imagination runs free.
Artist Statment:
Few things appeal to me more than a deeply thought out and composed still image. I can get lost in it, become it, and discover more about myself as a human being. I am expressing visually what isn’t usually discussed, moments when we feel out of place, as if we don’t know our purpose or destiny. Each painting is an open invitation, with utmost respect given to the viewer, beckoning them to step inside and contribute.
Our world is saturated with energy, emanating from every entity, real and imagined. I want to hold on to the wonder I knew as a child and simultaneously scrutinize things from an adult perspective. When my work is viewed the intention is to give the audience a hopeful feeling, while being keenly aware of the challenges in their own lives that were overcome or lie in wait. When a viewer includes their own interpretations, it is most inspiring.
Without being overly apathetic towards the negative, I hold on to the positive things that make us human. Our overwhelming range of emotions when it relates to sorrow, compassion, struggle, achievement, and happiness are prevalent themes. My desire to capture intangible feelings and translate them into visual stimulation is the crux of my work.
Few things appeal to me more than a deeply thought out and composed still image. I can get lost in it, become it, and discover more about myself as a human being. I am expressing visually what isn’t usually discussed, moments when we feel out of place, as if we don’t know our purpose or destiny. Each painting is an open invitation, with utmost respect given to the viewer, beckoning them to step inside and contribute.
Our world is saturated with energy, emanating from every entity, real and imagined. I want to hold on to the wonder I knew as a child and simultaneously scrutinize things from an adult perspective. When my work is viewed the intention is to give the audience a hopeful feeling, while being keenly aware of the challenges in their own lives that were overcome or lie in wait. When a viewer includes their own interpretations, it is most inspiring.
Without being overly apathetic towards the negative, I hold on to the positive things that make us human. Our overwhelming range of emotions when it relates to sorrow, compassion, struggle, achievement, and happiness are prevalent themes. My desire to capture intangible feelings and translate them into visual stimulation is the crux of my work.
EXHIBITIONS
2024, Carnival Fabulon, group, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, OR
2024, Made from Dreams, solo, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, OR
2024, Future Visions, group, Splendorporium, Portland, OR
2023 Chaotic!, group, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, OR
2023 Fears and Phobias, group, Splendorporium, Portland, OR
2023 Apparitions, group, Splendorporium, Portland, OR
2022 The Fringe, group, Brassworks Gallery, Portland, OR
2021 Follow the Light, solo, The Academy Theater, Portland, OR
2021 Group show, ADX Gallery, Portland, OR
2020 Balancing Act, solo, ADX Gallery, Portland, OR
2019 To the Horizon, group, Steel Door Gallery, San Francisco, CA
2018 Fierce and Frail, group, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
2017 This is Not an Art Show, group, Faultline Gallery, Oakland, CA
2017 Once Upon a Time, group, Splendorporium, Portland, OR
2016 Salut II, group, Nucleus Gallery, Portland, OR
EDUCATION
Bachelor's of Fine Art in Illustration
Academy of Art University
San Francisco, CA
