BIOGRAPHY

Toban Nichols, is a visual artist & filmmaker whose work has been seen in film festivals & galleries in LA & around the world. He was also featured in Pop Rally at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

After earning a Bachelors degree in painting, he studied at the San Francisco Art Institute where he received an MFA in New Genres. He has been granted a residency with the Experimental Television Center in NY, & awarded the Juror's Pick at the ArtHouse Film Festival. In the past eight years Nichols launched a line of textiles, created a photo app for mobile devices worldwide and published his first photo book titled 'MY TWIN'. In 2021 he created an up-cycled line of hoodies that incorporate 95% of materials from recycled and up-cycled fabric and vintage badge patches called The Fusion Hoodie.

He has recently completed his first feature length documentary titled “Beyond the Trees” for wide release in 2022 as well as teaching visual arts & photography to underserved youth in Los Angeles after school programs and juvenile detention centers for the past five years. He also sits on the Board of Directors for two non-profit artist run organizations that seek to enrich artists lives through various levels of support including exhibitions and funding.

STATEMENT

My work involves visual distortion and manipulation using digital photography, experimental video and textiles or soft sculpture, the results are often a combination of these multimedia elements. My work is an examination of personal cultural history and comments on social issues of marginalized communities I am connected to. The experimentation, research, and physical making of the work which utilizes recycled, up-cycled and reused materials is also an important part of the dedicated process.

I create elaborate costumes and dramatic backdrops that lend themselves to a very DIY approach as part of my aesthetic. The intrinsic hand-made quality of the costumes and sets bring me back to my childhood as a young artist. I find this way of working to be extremely gratifying and informative to my artistic growth.

In addition to my memory and cultural history the main influences in my art practice have traditionally been color, texture, & motion. In all mediums of my work I am inspired by movement and color. Much of my print & video work revolves around movement, whether that imposes itself as physical motion implied by the human body or the impression of movement by natural forces. I am drawn to the way water & wind enforce themselves on landscapes to form natural shapes. As a child in Kansas, which has rather extreme weather, I was consistently captivated by an open window with a strong breeze blowing the sheer curtains in my Grandmother’s home. The way the wind made the curtains undulate and flow was mesmerizing.

Curriculum Vitae: Selected Exhibitions

2024

The Trashion Show, Long Beach Playhouse, Long Beach, CA (group)
Quilting Bee with Wataru Tominaga, The Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (special project)
Studio 8 Film Festival, Shapeshifters Cinema, San Francisco, CA (curator)
In Flux, MONCA Museum, Chico, CA (group)
The View, online exhibition-SFAA Instagram (group)

2023

Perspectives 2023, CICA Museum, Korea (group)
Stare Wares, Gallery 787, Pasadena, CA (group)
Night of Desirable Objects, Gallery 787, Pasadena, CA (solo)
Staff & Volunteer Exhibition, Gallery 787, Pasadena, CA (group)

2022

Bite, Strike, Burn, Hey There Projects, Joshua Tree, CA (group)
Onward, San Francisco Artists Alumni Instagram, Online (group)
Rainbow Shift 2022, Art Share LA, Los Angeles, CA (group)
Kinfolk, Gallery 787, Pasadena CA (group)
QueerTech.io 2022, Midsumma Festival, Melbourne, Australia (group)
Colorform 19a0, Pasadena Public Library, Pasadena CA (solo)

2021

Three Turns Miami: Untitled Art Fair, Miami, Fl (group)
Athens Digital Arts Festival:Hybrid Edition, Athens Greece, (group)
High Beams 5, Night Moves Bendix Building Rooftop, Los Angeles (curator)
NOMAD, 500 Artists Pop-Up Event, Los Angeles, (group)
California Open, Tag Gallery, Los Angeles (group)
Ultra! / High Beams #4, Torrance Art Museum, Torrance CA (curator)
Cuddlechunk Pride Edition (Daddie debut), Cuddlechunk Twitch (streaming)
California Lite, Arcade Projects, New York (group)
Group Show, Another Year In LA, Los Angeles (group)

2020

Cuddlechunk Halloween Special (Analemmanode debut), Cuddlechunk Twitch (group)
Home, Acogedor Space, Los Angeles (group)
Video Art Today, Shoebox Projects, Los Angeles (group)
Wonder Holes: Queer Art Mini Golf, Los Angeles (group installation event)
High Beams #1, Bendix Building: Maiden LA, Los Angeles (group)
LOIMBY, Other Places Art Fair: Maiden LA, Los Angeles (group)
Perspectives 2020, CICA Museum, Korea (group)

2019

The Future is…, Shangyuan Art Museum, Beijing, China (group)
NSFW Fest, Highways Performance Space, Santa Monica, Ca (group)
Glendale Out, Ace/ 121 Gallery, Glendale, Ca (group)
Glitch, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, Ca (group)
QMIR Screening- Yarn Mountain, Little Berlin Gallery, Philadelphia, PA (group)
QueerTech.io 2019, Midsumma Festival, Melbourne, Australia (group)

Publications, PresS, Personal appearances

2024

Edu, Therese “Pasadena-based Remainders Creative Reuse Invites…”, Pasadena Now
In Flux: Calibrating the Unknown, Exhibition Catalog, Museum of Northern California Art
Remainders Creative Reuse in Pasadena is Making a Difference, Spectrum 1 News
(tv spot), Spectrum 1 News, Los Angeles

2023

Hidden Gems: Joseph Lee, Android Commercial, On-camera speaking role
Turning Thrifted Holiday Gifts Into New Treasures, Greater LA (radio interview) KCRW,
Los Angeles
Chiotakis, Steve, “Sustainable Ideas for Christmas Gifts, Decoration and Food”,
KCRW radio interview
Greco, Madison, “Meet Toban Nichols” Bold Journey Magazine
Wyper, Allison, “Project Spotlight: Remainders Creative Reuse” Rhizomatic Arts
Network Blog
Carmel, Julia. “11 Places in LA to Get Your Creativity Flowing” LA Times
Sustainability Nuggets Podcast. “Reducing Textile Waste in the Fashion Industry”
Good Together Podcast. “Creative Reuse Centers”
Firman, Tehrene. “The Art of Reuse: How 'Creative Reuse Centers' Are Redefining the
Concept of Waste” Brightly.eco

2009

B., Marke. “Glitchy Kisses”, San Francisco Bay Guardian
DeLong, Michael. “Toban Nichols: Oppobrium”, Flavorpill
Fitzpatrick, Chris. “Goodbye Horses”, Artslant
Keeling, Brock. “Toban Nichols: 3 Shows, 2 Months,1 Artist”, Sfist.com

2008

Atomic Unicorn
Itch Magazine
Splice Today

1996

Roberts, Steven. Cul-de-Sac Cowboy. Illustrated by Toban Nichols.

Committees, Awards, service, ExperiencE

2022

Grant Panelist- California Arts Council
Grant Panelist- Los Angeles County Department of Arts & Culture

2021

Board Member- SF Artists Alumni Organization for Alumni of The San Francisco Art institute, Los Angeles, CA

2020

Executive Board Member, Arts Education Advisor, Remainders Creative Reuse, Pasadena, CA
Alumni Liaison-Southern California, SF Artists Alumni Organization for Alumni of The San Francisco Art institute, Los Angeles, CA

2019

Artist in Residence, Theatre of Hearts/Youth First, Los Angeles, CA
Art Instructor, Remainders Creative Reuse Non-profit, Pasadena, CA

2018

Artist in Residence, Movember Foundation, Culver City, CA

2011

Curatorial Residency (w/ Erin Kellgren-Temple), Platform Art Space, Los Angeles, CA

2009

Juror’s Pick, ArtHouse Film and Video Festival, Tampa, FL

2005

Residency, Experimental Television Center, Newark Valley, NY

2002

Curatorial Internship, New Langton Arts, San Francisco CA
Youth Arts Collaborative Project: Night Light, Ann Carlson & Mary Ellen Strom, Yerba Buena Arts Center, San Francisco, CA

2001- 02

Walter McBean Gallery, San Francisco Art Institute, Gallery Assistant

2001- 02

Teaching Assistant-Introduction to Digital Media as Fine Art II,
San Francisco Art Institute

1996

Illustrator, Cul de Sac Cowboy, First Inline Creative, publisher

1995-96

Dean's Honor Roll, Wichita State University

1995

Scholarship Award Recipient, Wichita State University, School of Art and Design

1994

African-American Family Preservation Inc., Student Mural Director