Tomasz Rut

Polish artist Tomasz Rut draws inspiration from the humanistic tradition of classical art, purposely focusing on the beautiful and positive aspects of human emotion rather than darker themes. Encouraged by his mother, a painter trained at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Rut was introduced to Pompeian Frescos and the magnificent history of the Renaissance and Baroque periods as a child. The flamboyance of Rubens, the finesse of Caravaggio, and the emotion of Michelangelo continue to inspire his stunning oils, murals, and graphic works.
After training at the Pratt Institute in New York and studying Art Conservation at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Rut earned a B.A. in Chemistry and Art History and an M.A. in conservation. He worked in art conservation for the Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina, and traveled the east coast restoring large scale murals for clients including the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Treasury Department in Washington, D.C., the New Jersey State House in Trenton, and Vizcaya Museum in Miami.
During a visit to Pompeii, Rut found his signature style. He creates aged, cracked canvases that eloquently mimic Italian frescoes using transparent and semi-transparent glazes to add a superficial patina. His imaginary figures—centaurs, fauns, muses, and winged creatures—burst from the canvas in dramatic poses inspired partly by his father, an Olympic bronze medalist in hammer throwing. Rut’s work is represented by Park West Gallery and can be found in collections including the Frye Museum of Art in Seattle, Washington, and the Mobile Museum of Art in Mobile, Alabama.