About

About the Artist 
Selected works can be found on my website craighawkinsart.com

dailyserving.com by Emily Rosser

Craig Hawkins work enhances the beauty of the world around us through the expression of a rich and deeply spiritual faith. Mediating on the word of God, Hawkins hones in on elemental truths of the Bible. The artist creates vivid imagery through transcendental compositions, high contrast narratives, and expressive mark making. The result is an intriguingly unique perspective on religious parables.  Hawkins describes his work as, “the evidence of taking truth and imagining it”. Brilliantly honest, his work moves beyond the confines of the canvas to provoke vivacity, challenging the viewer to see with new eyes. The artist uses paint and charcoal to illustrate and unite the dynamic nature of the world around us with specific scriptural references. Using media as a form of conversation, the canvas becomes an open journal to actively demonstrate the work of his hands. Each mark is wholly significant, a means used to thrust the viewer into a matrix of emotion. Through Hawkins integrity in creation, the viewer moves closer to the truth, feelings, and experiences of the body.

Biography

Craig Hawkins received his B.F.A in Fine Art from Valdosta State University(2001) and his M.F.A. at the University of Georgia(2011).  Hawkins grew up in multiple cities including Laurinburg, NC, Greer, SC, Roanoke Rapids, NC, Warner Robins, GA, Valdosta, GA, Newcastle, England, and Athens, GA. Describing his work, Hawkins says, “I collect moments of revelation and try to give them away as a drawing or a painting.”

Artist Statement

2010 - I collect moments of revelation and try to give them away as a drawing or a painting. In sharing these revelations I hope to motivate the viewer to reassess things typically taken for granted.

2009 - All I do is create work based on my personal response to what I read. The bible is my primary influence. The process from the moment of revelation to the final work of art is a mystery to me. The experience I try to record feels universally important and personally applicable at the same time and I'm compelled to explore this moment to create a visually stimulating record with mark making. 

2008 - I don't know what it is about mark making but I get great satisfaction from it. I think it has something to do with discovering how everything develops some kind of relationship with light. Within my process I don't seek to produce an idea or subject as a camera would but would rather pick and choose distinctive areas of focus. There's something exciting about finding that area of a figure or subject that's irresistible to draw and then struggling to develop other areas to coexist and compliment that area.  

2007 - I feel complete when creating a piece that explores depths of truth, and mark making. It's like holding the hand of God to tell a really good story. My love of contrast between light and dark, natural and supernatural becomes the integrity of my work. When each created piece makes contact with another person my process is complete and there's an opportunity for the story to be shared, a resource has been provided.

2006 - Most of my work consists of biblically based contextualized figures. I can't think of anything more emotionally, physically, and mentally intense than the bible. The bible is full of murder, betrayal, greed, lust, prostitution, nudity, covetousness, war, sex, and illegitimate pregnancy. But in contrast it has the ultimate examples of truth, love, mercy, grace, trust, integrity, wisdom, strength, courage, leadership, beauty, patience, humility, true life, miraculous healing, and people being raised from the dead. Although my content is the inspiration for the work I produce I believe there is a balance of aesthetics and content for each piece per my love of mark making, symmetry, and contrast.