Tom K Doyle ( he/him )

Can you remember the feeling of crawling into a blanket fort? When a bed sheet draped over a couch could transport you? Sounds outside soften, light sneaks through cracks between pillows, and the blanket above - now a roof - shields all those inside your invented fortress. I can recall building many such forts with my brother, John, who passed away by suicide in 2015. 

Knowing that, I imagine these sculptures might read a bit like nostalgic miniatures, but they are more sanctuary than replica. Every decision to place a chair there, stack a pillow here, scribble color as a child might, is a decision made to transform the everyday with levity and construct an opening. The forts are an opportunity for play within the space of grief — a way to introduce choice making and creation in a situation that weighs heavy with finality.

Tom K Doyle grew up in Pittsburgh, PA playing basketball in the driveway and listening to his mom’s CD collection. He is now an artist and an educator who loves helping students of all ages find joy in making something with their own hands. Tom holds a BFA in Ceramics and a Masters of Arts in Teaching from the Maryland Institute College of Art.