Sebastian Thomas

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.

Thomas earned his MFA in painting and drawing from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and dual BFAs in painting and creative writing from the Kansas City Art Institute.

His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including at Zolla Lieberman Gallery in Chicago, Nashira Gallery in Milan, the Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago, and Brick Lane Gallery in London.

In addition to his studio practice, Thomas teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Indiana University Northwest, where he also leads public art initiatives such as the City of Gary Mural Project. He lives and works in Chicago, continuing to build a richly symbolic body of work that unites historical craft, contemporary allegory, and the enduring power of myth.

 

Pictured above: The Triumph of St. Lucy, 2025, casein on muslin laminated chalk found panel, 72 x 48 x 2.5 in. Courtesy of the artist.