My current work is both self-referential and relational, exploring the intersection between personal experience and broader human connection. It builds on my longstanding practice of integrating repurposed materials and layered imagery, now incorporating vintage road maps, paint, and mixed media on canvas.

These maps serve as a metaphor: roads and highways mirror the paths of people who intersect—sometimes fleetingly, sometimes deeply—forming bonds that may diverge or endure. The compositions reflect not only my own lived experience but also the universal patterns of relationships that define a life: casual, profound, transient, or lasting. This body of work continues the psychological dimension present in the body of my work, informed by my current work as a trained psychotherapist. It invites viewers to consider their own emotional landscapes and the connections that shape them.

The theme of transformation—through material, memory, and meaning—has long been central to my work. Earlier series have repurposed fragments from previous paintings, embedded within new visual environments such as photographs taken at the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum. These pieces explore ideas of value, scale, and iconic imagery, while reinforcing my enduring interest in recycling both imagery and intent.

My work also includes conceptual constructions and mixed media installations that engage light, texture, and structure—whether through oil paintings, light boxes, or embedded materials like computer motherboards. Across these varied formats, I return to recurring questions: What endures? What is lost? How do memory, place, and relationship shape our understanding of self and the world around us?

Tom Culora
April 2025