ENERGY, 2023

Rob Hill is a geometric abstract painter born and raised in Los Angeles, California. The patterns and colors in his work are inspired by global travel and life experiences, especially his eight years of military service with the United States Coast Guard. His interest in geometric shapes relates to historic Egyptian architecture, painting, and visual culture, sports, and 90s television programs such as Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and In Living Color. He has applied his geometric aesthetic off the canvas and onto denim and leather, as well as glass, wood, marble, and metal. He has also been creating public art projects on basketball courts and youth centers and other buildings for the past nine years. He aims to unify people from diverse backgrounds through the power of art. “My cultural heritage manifests in my artistic choices as I utilize an array of inspirations, life experiences, and history in my artwork. The principal theme of my work is unity through diversity and it’s showcased through an intersection of line, color, and texture. My black heritage is the reason why I push the narrative of being more empathetic and understanding for one another. We can create more change and prosperity through unity. I balance universal appeal with distinct cultural elements by pushing myself as an artist and creating new works that spark dialogue and bring people together. My artwork is abstract but also figurative. It draws upon our commonalities and how to be more harmonized with one another. My [public] artwork gives people the autonomy to both create their own representation and meaning, while [my] figurative artworks highlight my principle theme of unity through diversity.”