Marcellus Hammond

I create art that explores the struggles we face but don’t always name—the fight between distraction and focus, fear and faith, identity and illusion. My work brings these hidden battles to the surface, using bold colors, layered textures, and unexpected materials like fabric, tufting, and earth-based elements.

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But it’s not only about struggle—it’s also about clarity, joy, and the moments of light that cut through the noise. I’m drawn to the in-between spaces of life, where chaos meets beauty, and the everyday becomes sacred: a musician lost in rhythm, a dancer mid-spin, a friend’s laughter breaking through the static. My work is about seeing through that static—finding the divine pulse beneath it all.

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I take inspiration from artists who push the limits of portraiture, like Alice Neel, Lynette Yiadom-Boakye, and Amoako Boafo, as well as the Bay Area Figurative Movement’s expressive energy. Like Robert Rauschenberg, I mix painting with unconventional materials, creating work that feels raw and tactile. Inspired by Njideka Akunyili Crosby, I sometimes weave in photographic elements, layering past and present to create narratives that feel both personal and universal. In color, I look to Henri Matisse, whose fearless palettes help me capture emotion, rhythm, and movement.

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Lately, my practice has also been shaped by Andy Warhol’s exploration of repetition and variation—the idea of creating versions of versions, where each iteration carries new weight and meaning. I’m interested in how an image transforms when reworked across mediums—whether in print, fabric, or layered texture—and how these shifts mirror the ways we wrestle with memory, identity, and perception over time.

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At its core, my work is about uncovering what’s real—beneath the noise, beneath the fear—and letting the beauty of life shine through. I build layers the way we build our lives—through experience, rhythm, and revelation. Some pieces feel chaotic, some still, but they all hold the same question:

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What are we up against, and what light still remains?