I began making art as a child, learning from my uncle in my hometown of Portland, OR. As I grew older, I ventured into felt pen drawings on books and matte boards. Then, in 1981, I was seriously injured in a fatal car accident. Recovering from a traumatic brain injury, I sought relief by drawing and writing in books. Art quickly became my life.
In 1987, I won a scholarship to attend Cornish College of the Arts. But the demands of life as a single parent saw this fall by the wayside. I persevered on my own, gaining recognition as a self-taught artist. I started showing at Jamison/Thomas Gallery in Portland in 1995 and became known as an Outsider artist. In 1998, my art was featured as the cover story in Raw Vision Magazine, and numerous galleries soon represented me.
By 2006, I was curating traveling exhibitions. I began to show internationally in Australia, France, and Canada. My art appeared on clothing by the fashion house Comme des Garçons in 2018, and has been featured in books. I regularly show at the Outsider Art Fair in New York City. Continuing to pursue my support of other artists, I curated a three-floor exhibition at Shoreline City Hall in WA in 2019. I continue to work as an artist, collaborator, and curator in the United States and abroad, chasing my ever-expanding muse from Tacoma, WA.

“I started making art as a child in the 1960s, but I was catapulted into life as a full-time artist after suffering a traumatic brain injury in 1981. As I recovered from a coma and mourned the death of my boyfriend in the accident that almost killed me, I turned to art, finding an outlet for my grief and confusion. Much of this was tied up with ruminations about the nature of consciousness and identity. My early drawings quickly moved toward what I am most known for: multilayered renderings of human faces that stare into the viewer’s soul. Making art was therapeutic and soon bordered on obsession.”

“As I persisted with art, circumstance again provided the impetus for a change in direction. In this case, the circumstance was poverty, and the change was a move away from drawing and toward collage (which has become one of my most developed and popular media). Because I couldn’t afford art materials, I began to use scraps from old books and magazines. Neighbors and friends would bring me their castoffs. While still focusing on renderings of human faces, these collages brought me the opportunity to add layers of mystery and intricacy behind them. To me, these layers are reminiscent of human consciousness and provide opportunities for representing the mysteries of the human mind.”

“I began repurposing found objects in my multilayered collage work: jigsaw puzzle pieces, thrift store world globes, surfboards, and dolls became part of my art. Old books and antique photo albums began to fill my galleries of human frailty. I have experimented with bringing my visceral image-making into many mediums in recent years, working especially with anatomy collage vases and ceramics, textiles and fashion.”

“As I became known as an Outsider artist, I discovered other artists who felt compelled to create, like me. My work was influenced by the African American folk and self-taught artists with whom I am now exhibiting. I enjoy collaborating with artists.”

Anne Marie Grgich

Aisha Harrison

Daniel Clauson