Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art

Sebastian Thomas: Always the Moon and the Sun

August 25, 2026–March 27, 2027

Sebastian Thomas is an American painter whose work reimagines medieval iconography through a contemporary lens, blending mythic storytelling with reflections on modern culture. Drawing from illuminated manuscripts, altar paintings, and devotional objects, he creates densely composed works made of multiple panels that stage vivid encounters between saints, beasts, and heroes, using allegories to communicate ideas that resonate across centuries. His intricate surfaces and luminous palettes merge the richness of International Gothic painting with the wit and irreverence of popular culture.

Thomas formulates his own casein paints using traditional methods, treating craftsmanship as an act of devotion. Many of his works are assembled from interlocking panels connected with French cleats, a modular format that allows for reconfiguration and narrative play. Across these ornate tableaux, female protagonists including martyrs, sphinxes, and warriors emerge as central figures, embodying intelligence, resilience, and spiritual agency. By reviving premodern visual languages, Thomas critiques the technological and social hierarchies of the present, envisioning a world where mythic imagination resists digital domination.

 

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Exhibition Archive

An archive of past exhibitions from 2016 to present.