Tony Seker
Artist Statement
My art is predicated on the fact that we are all born into circumstances over which we have no control. To capture this notion on canvas, my paintings juxtapose aspects of design and randomness. Using non-traditional painting tools instead of brush, the result is integrative, dynamic and texturally bursting with color. My “action” painting methods blossomed during my nomadic early teen years after my family escaped the Lebanese Civil War. During that period, I contemplated the notion of life’s randomness, which took me down one path and children around me with others. As a distraction from my refugee experience, I immersed myself into cinema, music and entertainment. From that period onwards I began to channel, into my “action” painting, some of the most evocative characteristics from my favorite performers of that era, such as Peter Sellers, Bruce Lee, Clint Eastwood and Victor Borge, creating a dramatic story on canvas. My hope is that these stories, in their smallest way, may elevate consciousness and compassion for those whose lives are randomly more challenging.
Artist BIO
Tony Seker was born in Beirut, Lebanon and fled the country with his family during the Lebanese Civil War. His abstract style developed while in Europe during their refugee experience when he resorted to painting his toy model fighter planes with pieces of cardboard and plastic, instead of brush. Seker also abandoned using the traditional camouflage colors for his old war planes and embraced bold, colorful paint as a statement opposing war at large. Unconventionally, he attributes his greatest influences to the comedic and cinematic performers of that era, such as Peter Sellers, Clint Eastwood, Bruce Lee and even Victor Borge. Seker notes that while painting, he channels their energy and embodies their movements, getting lost in these dynamic and expressive characters. Perhaps as a form of escapism, or simply a healthy emotional release, he loses himself in his “action” painting. The result is his organic technique using bold movements and colorful paint.
Seker has exhibited in many galleries and art venues in the New York City area, including SOHO, Hoboken, Southampton, Bridgehampton, and Bushwick. He has also exhibited in Utah, Santa Fe, Las Vegas, Paris, Barcelona and Dubai.
Seker is the president of his local artist’s guild and has been involved in exciting artistic events such as Fashion Week. He is scheduled to spend one month doing an art residency in 2023 in the Madives where he will also enjoy having two solo exhibitions.
Seker has won numerous juried awards and he has been published in various art publications, including Contemporary Art Magazine, Artmosphere Magazine and Studio Visit Magazine. He lives near New York City and previously lived in Beirut, Paris and London.
Credentials
Prizes
2022
ArtTour International Top 60 Masters- Winner- New York, United States
2021
Contemporary Art Online Gallery- All Abstraction Art Theme- Middletown, United States
2021
Contemporary Art Gallery online- Gallery Award- Middletown, United States
2020
Circle foundation for the Arts – Excellence award- Artistic Excellence Award for “Hint of Tobacco with a Floral Finish”- Lyon, France
2020
Circle Foundation For The Arts – Featured Artist- Lyon, France
2020
Runner Up, The 38th International Artavita Online Contest- Santa Barbara, United States
2019
FINALIST/Certificate of Excellence, 34th International Artavita Online Contest – Santa Barbara, United States
2019
Artist Guild Annual Juried Show- Best In Show- Fort Lee, NJ, United States
2018
Artist Guild Annual Juried Show- Best In Show- Cliffside Park, NJ, United States
2017
Pascack Art Association 5th Annual Tri-State (NY/CT/NJ) Juried Exhibition /William Dean Mansion- ARTIST CHOICE AWARD (voted by 50 artists)- Park Ridge, NJ, United States
2016
Artist Guild,Annual Juried Art Show- Best In Show- Fort Lee, United States
2016
25th Annual Edgewater Art & Music Festival “Bergen County’s Most Prestigious Juried Art Competition- Best Art- Edgewater, NJ, United States
Solo Exhibitions
2022
Hudson Lights / Fort Lee – New Jersey, United States
2022
Spring Fling / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2022
Affordable Art Fair (AAF) / Soho , Manhattan – New York, United States
2021
Sudden Impact! / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
AFFORDABLE Art Fair New York CIty / Metropolitan Pavilion, New York – New York, United States
2021
Lights, Splatter, Action! / Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ, United States
2021
Art Market Hamptons / Bridgehampton Museum – Bridgehampton, NY, United States
2021
First and FOURmost / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
Creative Arts / ARTSY (Creative Inks) – Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2021
Smoke and Mirrors / Sonia Monti Gallery – Paris, France
2020
“Life Is A Cabaret” / Sandy Bennett Gallery at Bergen Performing Arts Center – Englewood, NJ, United States
2019
A Pigment of your Imagination / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2019
I am THAT I am / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2018
Broadway Sings For Pride / CharityBuzz Auction – New York, United States
2018
Beyond Dogma / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
Group Exhibitions
2022
Abstraction / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, United States
2022
Cacao / Bushwick – Brooklyn, United States
2022
Spring Show 2022 / CRISOLART GALLERY – Barcelona, Spain
2022
The Pearl / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
VISIONARY Art & Dreams / Wafi City – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2021
Southampton Art Fair / Southampton Art Fair New York – Southampton, United States
2021
Arts Amble / Hudson Lights – Fort Lee, United States
2021
Showers to Flowers / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
Reverie / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
Middle Eastern Galleries Now / ARTSY (Creative Inks) – New York, United States
2021
Brighter Days / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2021
Escape Room / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2020
Winter Expo / Maurice M. Pine Gallery – Fair Lawn, United States
2020
Back On Track / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2020
Autumn Spectrum / ARTSY – New York, United States
2020
Contemporary Figurative Art, Creative Inks / ARTSY – New York, United States
2020
Turning A Page / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2020
2020 Vision / New York Avenue – Union City, United States
2020
Welcome 2020 / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2020
ArtScoops MEA auction & marketplace / ArtScoops – Beirut, Lebanon
2020
LagunaArt / LagunaART Gallery – Laguna Beach CA, United States
2020
Group Exhibition presented by ArtWorks / ArtWorks Fine Art Gallery – Cedar City, UT, United States
2020
TRANSFORMATIVE Online Art Exhibit / HobokenArts Gallery – Hoboken, NJ, United States
2019
Small Wonders’ / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2019
The Arts Factory / Anja Whitemyer Gallery – Las Vegas, United States
2019
Group Exhibition presented by ArtWorks / ArtWorks Fine Art Gallery – Cedar City, UT, United States
2019
Beyond Cultural Identities / Nine On The Hudson – West New York, NJ, United States
2019
TOA Awards / U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Washington DC, United States
2018
Silver Celebration / Piermont Flywheel Gallery – Piermont, NY, United States
2018
Controlled Chaos (Honoring TUPAC) / Image Gallery – Bushwick Brooklyn, United States
2018
RED 6 Exhibit / Perth Amboy Gallery Center for the Arts – Perth Amboy NJ, United States
2017
Controlled Chaos I / Image Gallery – Bushwick Brooklyn, United States
2017
Group Exhibition presented by ArtWorks / ArtWorks Fine Art Gallery – Cedar City, UT, United States
2016
Group Exhibition presented by ArtWorks / ArtWorks Fine Art Gallery – Cedar City, UT, United States
2016
Through the Artist’s Eye / Hob’Art Gallery – Hoboken, NJ, United States
2016
Exposure 2016 / Ceres Gallery – SOHO NYC, United States
Publications
2022
Artistonish Magazine- June 2022
2022
Studio Visit Magazine- Volume 50
2022
The Bold Modern- Dynamic Artists of Contemporary Art
2021
Spotlight – Contemporary Art Magazine, Issue 22- Issue 22
2021
201 Magazine- The Arts Issue
2021
Studio Visit Magazine- Volume 47
2020
Fox News- Coronavirus Spills Ink on Tony Seker’s Dream of Paris Homecoming
2020
Circle Foundation for the Arts, France- Circle Foundation Featured Artist
2020
Fine Art Shippers- CLAXON DU SOLEIL: COLORFUL & DYNAMIC ABSTRACT ART BY TONY SEKER
2020
300 Magazine- Tony Seker — An Abstract Painter Dancing with the Universe
2020
Artmosphere magazine – Issue #25
2020
NYNJ.COM- Tony Seker is this Months Featured Artist at bergenPAC
2019
The Media Pub- New art group to showcase premiere exhibition
2018
Pubblicato da il circolo art design- ARTIST OF THE WEEK: TONY SEKER -How art can help you overcome trauma
- January 21, 2023
