Tony Hernandez

Tony Hernandez was born in 1964 in Atlanta and raised in Buckhead. He attended the Art Institute of Atlanta and went on to The Southern College of Technology, where he studied architecture. He has had solo exhibitions in Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, New York, Krakow, and San Francisco. The San Francisco Museum of Fine Art purchased his work for their permanent collection, and the musical group Train bought the rights to some of his paintings for their album artwork.

The children in Hernandez's current body of work are inspired by the drawings on the walls in the kindercamps in Auschwitz, as well as by photographs of Jewish victims and refugees. The children appear to be not from this era, rather, they represent the haunting images of children displaced by the Holocaust. Hernandez says that the children are not expectant, waiting for hope; instead they are vessels of peace and enlightenment.
Hernandez paints on birch panel with thin layers of beeswax and damar resin, melted together to create a wax medium called encaustic, and oil pigment. The word encaustic is derived from a Greek word meaning "to burn in" and has existed for several thousand years. Using a blowtorch, Hernandez fuses this wax medium and oil pigment causing the wax to engulf the pigment and allowing for the addition of more layers of wax. A specific amount of paint is applied to each layer; the heat then infiltrates the paint so that the color is suspended in the wax before progressing to the next layer. This meticulous process achieves a deep, three-dimensional illusion that the image itself is afloat within the composition. This creates the mysterious depth and shadow that he is known for.

 

ONE-PERSON EXHIBITIONS

  • 2008 "Paintings From The Silent Room" Tinney+Cannon Contemporary, Nashville, TN
  • 2007 "Paintings From The Silent Room" Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2007 "From the Quiet Room" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2006 "The Broken Promised Land" Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC 
  • 2005 "The Broken Promised Land" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2005 "The Broken Promised Land" Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2005 Scope New York, New York, NY
  • 2004 Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 2003 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2003 Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Palm Desert, CA. 
  • 2003 Eckenroth Gallery, Vail, CO
  • 2003 Buschlen Mowatt Gallery, Vancouver, BC
  • 2002 Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2002 Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 2002 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2001 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 2000 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2000 Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2000 "Kings Blue" Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 1999 "Crown" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1999 "A thousand words" Hidell Brooks, Charlotte, NC
  • 1998 "Parables" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1997 "Messages" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 "Words" Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 "Numbers" Chassie Post Gallery, New York, NY
  • 1995 Galeria Brama, Warsaw, Poland
  • 1994 Chassie Post Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1994 Cesera Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
  • 1992 The Lowe Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
  • 1991 "From Peachtree to Jerico" The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1991 Atlanta Jewish Community Center, Atlanta, GA
  • 1990 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1988 Alias Gallery, Atlanta, GA

 

SELLECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

  • 2007 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2006 Hidell Brooks Gallery, Charlotte, NC
  • 2006 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2005 Abstraction and Empathy curated by Christian Rattemeyer (Artists Space, New York) Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2004 25th Anniversary Exhibition Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2004 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2004 5th Anniversary Exhibition Hidell Brooks, Charlotte, NC
  • 2003 Hidell Brooks Charlotte, NC 
  • 2003 Ann Reed Gallery, Sun Valley, UT
  • 2003 When I Was A Child Youth Art Connection, Atlanta, GA
  • 2003 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 2003 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2003 "Small Sketches" Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta GA
  • 2003 Chicago Art Expo, Chicago, IL
  • 2003 The Armory Show The International Fair of New Art, New York, NY
  • 2002 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2002 Hidell Brooks Charlotte, NC
  • 2002 "Small Sketches" Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta GA
  • 2002 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 2002 Chicago Art Expo, Chicago, IL
  • 2002 San Francisco International Art Fair, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2002 San Francisco International Art Fair, Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2002 "Transportation" Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta GA
  • 2001 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Small Sketches Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Hidell Brooks Charlotte, NC
  • 2001 Chicago Art Expo, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2001 Chicago Art Expo, Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2001 San Francisco International Art Fair, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2000 "Small Sketches" Swan Coach House Gallery, Atlanta GA
  • 2000 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 2000 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2000 San Francisco International Art Fair, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 2000 San Francisco International Art Fair, Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 2000 Hidell Brooks Charlotte, NC
  • 1999 "Aspects of the Allegorical" Lisa Kurts Gallery Memphis, TN
  • 1999 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1999 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1999 San Francisco International Art Fair, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1999 San Francisco International Art Fair, Modernism, San Francisco, CA
  • 1998 New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
  • 1998 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1998 Hidell Brooks Charlotte, NC
  • 1997 Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1997 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1997 Gramercy International Art Fair, New York, NY
  • 1996 On Paper, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 Personal Best, Chassie Post Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York, NY
  • 1996 New York Academy of Art, New York, NY
  • 1996 Olympic Show, King Plow Arts Center, Atlanta, GA
  • 1996 Summer Group Show, Fay Gold Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1995 Chassie Post Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1995 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1995 Ceasera Gallery, Boca Raton, FL
  • 1994 Spotlight on Southern Artists, Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1994 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1994 Plow, Chassie Post Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1993 Five Artists, The Lowe Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
  • 1993 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1993 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1993 An American Renaissance The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1992 Contemporary International Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
  • 1992 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1992 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1992 The Lowe Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
  • 1991 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1991 Angels New Visions Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1991 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1990 The Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1990 Spotlight on Southern Artists Trinity School, Atlanta, GA
  • 1989 First national Bank Annual Exhibition, Atlanta, GA
  • 1989 Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1988 War and Peace, Alias Gallery, Atlanta, GA
  • 1988 Trinity Gallery, Atlanta, GA

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

  • M.H. de Young Memorial Museum, San Francisco, CA
  • California Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA
  • Progressive Insurance, New York NY
  • Entertainment Group of America, New York
  • SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, New York, NY
  • Institute of Serigraphic Art, Lodz, Poland
  • American Broadcasting Corporation New York NY
  • Mr. Tim Robbins New York, New York
  • Ms, Susan Sarandon New York, New York
  • Fidelity Insurance Corp. Evannsville, Indiana
  • United Yarn Works, A.G. Rosen, New York NY
  • Childress/Klein Properties, Atlanta
  • Consult Art, Atlanta
  • Ron and Lisa Brill, Atlanta
  • Long, Aldrich & Norman, Atlanta
  • King & Spaulding, Atlanta
  • Outpost Records, Mark Williams, Beverly Hills
  • John Portman & Associates, Atlanta
  • Saks Fifth Avenue, New York NY
  • Shapiro, Carter & Associates, Atlanta
  • Strauss Collection, New York NY
  • Saks Fifth Avenue, Beverly Hills CA
  • And over 1000 private collections worldwide

 

PUBLICATIONS

  • Fox, Catherine.Shifting Relationships The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 21, 2007
  • Cullum, Jerry. Divergent Styles Happily Coexist Under One Roof Creative Loafing, March 13, 2005
  • Feature Articles Carolina Arts, May 2004
  • Frederick, Lisa Gaddy. A Display of Affection Better Homes and Gardens, November, 2003
  • Cullum, Jerry. Reviews Art Papers, March 2003
  • Lovett, Ann. A Paradox of Simplicity The Piedmont Review, March 2003
  • Fox, Catherine. Haunting Childern and Vulnerable Men The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 17, 2003
  • Nouraee, Andisheh. The Art Of The Deal Creative Loafing, January 8, 2003
  • West, Caren. "Forever Young" Cover Magazine, March 2002
  • Lee, Heath Hardage. Visual Arts Modern Start Carlotte Place, 2002
  • Gallery Watch Art and Antiques, September, 2001
  • Feature Articles Carolina Arts, March 2001
  • Scott, Jeffry. "Artist Makes The Cover" Atlanta Journal Constitution, 
  • March 30 2001
  • McKinney, Molly H. "These Dreams" Arts Agenda, Creative Loafing 
  • Charlotte, March 7-13 2001
  • Feature Articles Carolina Arts, March, 2000
  • Chatherine, Fox. "Waifs Adrift Tug At Hart Strings"Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Dec. 29 2000
  • Goad, Kimberly. "The Art of the Narritive" Southern Accents, Nov-Dec. 2000
  • Exhibition-in-Print. New American Painting, 2000
  • Dorian, Donna. "The Art Of The Narrative" Southern Accents, Nov-Dec. 2000
  • Shortt, P. Waxing Philosophically The Piedmont Review, July 1998
  • Hitti, Miranda. Crafting a Masterpiece Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles, October, 1998
  • Fox, Catherine Elusive Artists Let Viewers Fill in the Blanks Atlanta Journal-Constitution, September 25, 1998
  • Byrd, Cathy. Solitary Man Creative Loafing, September 19, 1998
  • Howard, Elizabeth H. "Atlanta's Hip Homes & Lofts" Jezebel, Oct. 1999
  • Malik Lisa. "Breathing Room" cover image. Style Magazine, Nov. 1999
  • Cullum, Jerry. "Art Scene Atlanta," Art News, Jan 1996
  • Cullum, Jerry. "Intriguing Art from Here and There," Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Aug 1996
  • Galaif, Jonathan. "Cracking the Shell," Atlanta Jewish TImes, Mar 1996
  • Cullum, Jerry. "Art," Atlanta Journal/Constitution, Nov 1994
  • Holzel, David. "The Created as Creator," Atlanta Jewish Times, Oct 1991
  • Sanders, Luane. "Creation Sensations," Creative Loafing, Nov 1991
  • Vine, Richard. "Tony Hernandez at Chassie Post," Art in America, Dec 1996
  • Zawadzka, Ewa. "Polish Art & Antiques," Art Business, Fall 1995