Thomas Turner is an Atlanta surrealist painter and illustrator, who likens his paintings to “windows into another realm.” Using imagery of animals, plants and symbolic objects, Turner’s paintings visualize extensions of the idea of universality and the interconnectedness of being.
“You could see chandeliers turning into a bouquet of flowers, or a swan with a tree growing off of her back, or an egg hatching an antler,” said Turner. An artist to the bone, Turner recalls doodling in sketchbooks as a kid, even staying up past his bedtime as a toddler to make pictures with his Lite Brite.
In his twenties, Turner leaned in, developing a visual style influenced by nature photography, fantastical storytelling, and “the idea that if humans were not around, then nature would just take back over and sort of grow over everything,” as he puts it. Turner, of course, praises the city of Atlanta for its abundant greenery, parks, and trails. He also thrives in Atlanta’s vibrant arts scene, his work a mainstay at Greg Mike’s ABV Gallery and contributing murals all over the city.
