Artist Statement

The work begins unplanned. Line drawings, markings, painted strokes and scribbles are made with numerous mediums including oil, lumber stick, resin stick, charcoal, graphite and ink. I work on either simple wood panels or choose from a collection of found materials – old tabletops, cabinet doors, wood blocks wrapped in canvas, and old book covers.

The drawings/markings are created with my non-dominant hand. The use of my left hand allows me to draw in an unpracticed manner, with less control and intention, and without forethought.

More recently the work has expanded from 2 dimensional work to installations that include wall drawings, books, and standing boxes. The wall drawings are transient, painted over when the installation is dismantled, having a beginning and an end. Books are either created or have been adapted from existing books – images are either added to the pages, or pages are removed and new pages are stitched in. The boxes are an exploration of the work in 3 dimensions, of interior and exterior – a comment on what we present to the world and what we may choose to hide.

Over time I have realized that in the finished work I see aspects of our human condition – vulnerability, frailty, kindness, anger, frustration, humor, curiosity, and relationship. As well as glimpses of stories, moments, dilemmas that may represent how we approach or walk through life.

W. Tucker

(b.1959)

After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Drama in 1982, Tucker moved to Los Angeles in 1985 to pursue acting. Upon moving to Los Angeles, he discovered chalk, oil pastels, and large drawing pads left behind by a previous roommate, sparking a curiosity for creation. In 1990, Tucker’s acting pursuit ended after being slowly overtaken by his desire to paint and draw. A self-taught artist, Tucker embarked on his artistic journey after attending a weekend writing workshop hosted by his friend Lucia Capacchiona, a psychotherapist and registered art therapist. In an effort to create a dialogue with their inner child, Capacchiona had attendees write while alternating between their dominant and non-dominant hands.

Leaving the workshop, Tucker felt a greater sense of appreciation for this part of himself. Using his non-dominant hand not only created more space between the thinking mind and the canvas but channeled an honest and clear voice within. His work reflects a strong relationship between the found and discarded materials of which he creates on, and the subject he depicts on their surfaces. Being largely guided by his intuition, Tucker does not preplan his compositions. Piece by piece, a story evokes. From people and animals to inanimate objects – whether it is a coffee mug, ship, or scribble – these simple characters parallel the world we live in today. However mundane these entities may appear, they serve as key ingredients to Tucker’s masterpiece – symbolizing the everyday encounters and shared experiences we all undergo in every walk of life.

EDUCATION 1982 BA, Drama, New York University, New York, NY
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2025 Galleri Hedenius, Stockholm, Sweden – upcoming April
grayDuck Gallery, Austin, TX – upcoming August/September
2024 “forever, and no time at all”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX, (June)
“compassion” said the rabbit, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2023 “standing / facing”, Tayloe Piggott Gallery, Jackson, WY
2022 “we’re all just walking each other home”, Galleri Hedenius, Stockholm, Sweden
“be still”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“a cloud floats in, a ship passes by”, Big Medium, Austin, TX
2021 “in the middle of all this nonsense”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2020 “wish you were here / and you are”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“heads in the mountains”, Tayloe Piggott Gallery, Jackson, WY
2018 “I am this big / I am this small”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2017 “all that matters is the getting back up”, Koelsch Haus, Houston, TX
2016 “the captain asked for a show of hands”, Grey Duck Gallery, Austin, TX
“a quiet moment”, Koelsch Haus (formally Koelsch Gallery), Houston, TX
2015 “box, boxing, boxed”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2014 “the day before, and the day before that”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2013 “the sound of a house”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“if I knew I’d tell you”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
“remix”, Blackbox, Austin, TX
2012 “to stand in a boat that floats”, School of Art and Design, Texas
State University San Marcos, TX
2010 “how to draw”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
“books on a table, lines on a wall”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2008 “fragile”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2007 “Lost & Found”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
“with tiny arms he flew”, The Fallout Gallery, Las Vegas, NV
2003 “Recent Work”, RiskPress Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2001 Contentfree Gallery, Seattle, WA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2025 Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX

2024 “once more with feeling”, Big Medium, Austin, TX
Curated by Coka Trevino & Shea Little
Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2023 Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“Outsider Art Group Exhibition”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2022 “MASS + 1 Part 2”, MASS Gallery, Austin, TX
Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“Through the winter”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2021 Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2020 Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2019 Outsider Art Fair, New York, with Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2018 “Photo/Montage 12 x 12”, grayDuck Gallery, Austin, TX
2018 “ears of Buddha”, Koelsch Haus, Houston, TX
2017 “Sculp-chur”, Dimension Gallery, Austin, TX
“Cowboy”, Feast Gallery, Fayetteville, AR
2015 “Way Kool”, Koelsch Haus (formally Koelsch Gallery), Houston, TX
2014 20 th Anniversary Celebration, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
Longitude/Latitude, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
2013 Advanced Young Artist / Artist-Mentor Program, Art Museum
of Austin / Arthouse at the Jones Center
“treat yourself ….”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2012 “lights, camera, action”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2011 “from outside, in floats a music box”, Conduit Gallery, Dallas, TX
“America As We Feel It”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“The Object Of Desire”, dberman gallery, Wimberely, TX
“78701  78676”, dberman gallery, Wimberely, TX
2010 “10 th Anniversary Group Show”, dberman gallery, Austin, TX
“It’s a group thing”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX

Museo de Arte Moderno, Trujillo, Peru – through G Gallery, Houston, TX
People’s Gallery Exhibition at Austin City Hall, Austin, TX
“Quinceanera! show”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
2009 “Winter (group) Show”, Thomas Paul Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
“zoo of eight”, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“Summer Group Show”, Thomas Paul Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
“drawn (not quartered)”, dberman gallery, Austin, TX
“Second Stories”, 2-person exhibit, Thomas Paul Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
“five x seven”, Arthouse at the Jones Center, Austin, TX
“THE BIG SHOW”, Silas Marder Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY

“The Story Lies Within”, 4-person exhibit, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
People’s Gallery Exhibition at Austin City Hall, Austin, TX
Los Angeles Art Show, Los Angeles Convention Center, through Thomas Paul
Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA
2008 “what is my line?”, 4-person exhibit, McMurtrey Gallery, Houston, TX,
(Courtesy of Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX)
Contemporary Art Dealers of Dallas (Art Fair), through Conduit Gallery,
Dallas, TX
2007 flow fair, Miami Invitational, Miami, FL, through Koelsch
Gallery, Houston, TX
“Pushing The Envelope, A Drawing Show”, Williams Tower
Gallery, Houston, TX
“animales”, 4-person exhibit, Koelsch Gallery, Houston, TX
“Self Portraits”, Riskpress Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2004 Sarpa Studio, Culver City, CA

1999 “The Art Salon”, 3-perosn exhibit, 14614 Addison, Sherman Oaks, CA
Bergamont Station / Writer’s Bootcamp, Santa Monica, CA
1996 “Tribal Industrial”, Ivy Substation, Los Angeles, CA
Keller Galerie, 2-person exhibit, Zurich, Switzerland
BR Art Galerie, 2-person exhibit, Bern, Switzerland
Galerie Sprungbratt, 2-person exhibit, Niederglatt, Switzerland
1995 Susan Whitney Gallery, Seattle, WA
1994 “Group Show”, Liz Blackman Gallery, October, Los Angeles, CA
“Group Show”, Liz Blackman Gallery, July, Los Angeles, CA
“Art Los Angeles”, Los Angeles Convention Center, through Liz Blackman Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
“Works on Paper”, Santa Monica Civic Center, through Liz Blackman Gallery,
Los Angeles, CA
1992 Lipsett Gallery, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD
“In Search of the Contemporary Figurative”, 2-person exhibit,
Setting The Stage Gallery, Alexandria, VA
Outside-In Gallery, November, Los Angeles, CA
Setting The Stage Gallery, Alexandria, VA
Outside-In Gallery, October, Los Angeles, CA
Studio Raid, Los Angeles, CA
1991 “Summer Group Exhibition”, Studio Raid, Los Angeles, CA
“Winter Group Exhibition”, Studio Raid, Los Angeles, CA

PUBLICATIONS / AWARDS 2012-2013 Austin Critics Table Awards
Work of Art: Installation (tie)
W. Tucker: “to stand in a boat that floats”, Texas State University Galleries
Beili Lui: “Amass”, Texas State University Galleries
Artist of the Year: W. Tucker, “to stand in a boat that floats”,

Texas State University Galleries
2012 New American Paintings, No. 102, West Issue / Juror: Bill Arning,
Director – Contemporary Arts Museum, Houston, Texas

2006 New American Paintings, Volume 67,
Juror: Tumelo Mosaka, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art,
Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY
RESIDENCY 2008 Fountainhead Residency, Miami, FL

1991 Dorland Mountain Arts Colony, Artist’s Residency, Temecula, CA