Vivid and exacting, artist Khalid Thompson treats color as both medium and message. Raised in Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, Thompson’s practice is shaped by the visual language of both cities, from Chicago’s architectural rigor to Los Angeles’s expansive, light-driven palette. His work moves fluidly between art, design, and cultural commentary, layering saturated hues with a graphic precision that feels both disciplined and exuberant. There is a clarity to his compositions, informed by a background in design and a deep interest in universal storytelling. Read about how music is an intentional influence on his art – you will be spellbound.
DC: What is your favorite color and why?
KT: Every color and tone is essential to expression, whether it plays a dominant or supportive role in a composition. I don’t have a favorite color but I do have a strong attraction to bold, bright vivid colors such as bright yellow, cerulean blue and primary red. Black and white are also essential colors for me because of their ability to add weight or lightness to other colors within the pictorial space.
DC: What is Maximum Oneness?
KT: Maximum Oneness is the oneness of existence as omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent infinity, generating maximum energy. All productive and destructive forces express the eternal harmony we call reality. Change is the fulcrum of the universe; a direct expression of creation. Because the foundation of my approach is rooted in improvisation, I surrender myself to the unknown of each succeeding moment with the intention of being a conduit for the pure creative energy of our cosmos.
DC: Please tell us about the work of artists who’ve inspired you.
KT: When I became exposed to artists such as Jackson Pollock and post World War II abstract expressionism, it completely changed the way I saw the practice of visual art. I had always been an intuitive artist, but Pollock’s gestural, energetic abstractions inspired me to rely solely on intuition and immediacy, using art as a cathartic, liberating experience. Artists such as Jack Whitten expanded abstraction way beyond the boundaries of the canvas, creating incredible mosaic works made from dried acrylic in his studio. Jack was also an amazing wood carver who’s abstract sculptures generate a sense of timelessness drawing from the aesthetic qualities of antiquity and the contemporary world.
DC: How does color influence the direction and emotion of the worlds you build for your audience?
KT: Color and form both play an essential role in my attempts to have connection with the audience. However, the colors I use lay the foundation of those efforts. Light moves faster than sound, so when I start a new painting, the first vision that comes to me is one of color. Every other element is built on the basis of color awareness.
DC: Where do you find artistic energy and inspiration?
KT: Motivated by reflection and a focus on inner growth, I often ponder the mystery of existence and am in awe of the experience we call life. We are living inspiration so we never have to find it, we just have to allow our perspective to shift with the tides of change and be open to the importance of creativity no matter the circumstances.