John Lloyd Bio

My paintings have been exhibited in galleries and museums throughout the Northeast and in Europe, including the Andre Wauters Gallery, the Ligoa Duncan Gallery, the Atlantic Gallery, the Right Bank Gallery, and The Open Center, New York City; the Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington; and the Oriveden Opisto, Orivesi, Finland.

I received a BFA from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Tufts University

I was born in Kyoto, Japan,, where my parents and grandparents were missionaries. I lived in Kyoto and Yokkaichi for 12 years, going to public schools and became deeply immersed in Japanese culture. My playground was the rice paddies enveloping the house where I was raised, and the park surrounding a Shinto shrine in the neighborhood.

Growing up in the Far East and later adapting to life in the United States has lead me to a continual study of art and culture from around the world, particularly folk art and traditional devotional art.

My paintings are often set in places where 2 worlds meet; rooftops where architecture joins the larger expanse of the clouds, stars, and the beyond; and the seashore where we can literally walk from dry land into the element of water.

I am interested in the places where nature returns to our lives: the weeds in the vacant lot, or the animals in our dreams. My paintings capture the puzzling human community of city streets, full of conflict and joy.

The density of the images originate from my passion for music and interest in recreating the rhythm, harmonies and layers of counterpoint that are expressed in sound. My paintings evoke feelings, stories and all the colors that come through the music that I love to listen to.