Biography
I was born in Saint Louis, Missouri. My mother found out she was pregnant with me two weeks after my father’s funeral. She always told me she found me under a rock. Took up drawing at age 3 and never put the crayons down. I never considered myself to fit in the “normal” world, so I looked to leave the midwest asap.
I went to Washington University in Saint Louis, graduated and luckily landed one of the only art related jobs in Saint Louis as a fashion illustrator which led to art directing fashion advertising. I also met the person who would be my significant other for the next 23 years.
Moved to Chicago as an art director at Bloomingdales, which I did for the next few years, then freelanced; worked at Conde Naste, Avon, Saks Fifth Avenue and Aerosols. Tired of city living moved to Hunterdon County in New Jersey, where I purchased my first home.
But things changed within a 4 year period. I lost my boyfriend to a car accident, lived through 9/11, and was laid off. My priorities changed and what was important shifted. So I put the pieces back together, got a new job, met someone new and after a trip to Kentucky Festival of Arts in Alabama, I realized I needed to draw again and try to fulfill my dream to be a full time artist.
Artist Statement
Portraits on Recycled Trash
Within my artwork I have found my own “unique world” which has no rules or boundaries. My inspirations are varied and vast, everything from dreams and Indians, nuns and demons, the Jerry Springer Show and chickens to sins and celebrities. My world and therefore my art, is guaranteed to be colorful. self-revealing, emotional, childlike and an “eye full” to all who view it.
I purposely choose to use untraditional media. I create my works with various children’s art supplies including, crayons, magic markers, highlighters and colored pens. Using consumer boxes, discarded furniture and “trash” instead of traditional drawing surfaces has enables me to break down pre-existing print, images, and textures while allowing the type and pictures from the recycled object to become organically part of the portrait.
During the creative process, I discovered the need to deconstruct then reconstruct the face to fit within the shape of the surface. The results are portraits that have shattered appearance with broken and missing pieces but also form a more powerful, interesting and often disturbing viewpoint.
Portraits on Recycled Trash offers a glimpse into my own unique world, that is filled with altered and more complex viewpoints and an opportunity for the viewer to Think Outside the Box.
Small Works
Website: www.dionhitchings.com
Exhibitions
Gallery Petite High Bridge, NJ
Just Be Free Newark Art Supply Newark, NJ June 2008
Wdydwyd? Burnings Man, Black Rock City, NV Aug 2008
Bloomsbury NJ Art Festival, Boomsbury, NJ Sept 2008
Speak Up Speak Out New Hope Arts Centers, New Hope, PA Oct 2008
Spirograph people Made gallery, New Orleans, LA • 2008-2009
Group Show, Straub Art Center, Pennington, NJ Nov-Dec 2009
Group Show, Postcards from the Edge, New York, NY Jan 2009
It’s Fierce, Eclectix Gallery, El Cerrito, CA Jan 16 – Feb 2009
Group Show, The Dirty Show 10, Detroit, MI Feb 2009
Group Show, Art Clash, Philadelphia, PA Feb 2009
Group Show, Naughty Gras, Saint Louis, MO, Feb 14, 2009
Featured Artist, Soulard Art Market, Saint Louis, MO Feb 2009
Solo Show, Balance Gallery, Philadelphia, PA June 2009
Group Show, Straub Art Center, Pennington, NJ May-June 2009
Group Show, Postcards from the Edge, New York, NY Jan 9-19, 2009
It’s Fierce, Eclectix Gallery, El Cerrito, CA Jan 16 – Feb 22, 2009
Group Show, The Dirty Show 10, Detroit, MI Feb 2009
Group Show, Art Clash, Philadelphia, PA Feb 2009
Group Show, Naughti Gras, Saint Louis, MO Feb 14, 2009
Featured Artist, Soulard Art Market, Saint Louis, MO Feb 2009
Solo Show, Balance Gallery, Philadelphia, PA June 2009
Group Show Straub Art Center, Pennington, NJ May-June 2009
Group Show, Postcards from the Edge, New York, NY Jan 9-19, 2009
It’s Fierce, Eclectix Gallery, El Cerrito, CA Jan 16 – Feb 22, 2009
Group Show, Postcards from the Edge, New York, NY Jan 2010
Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ May 2010 to present the Nursery Rhyme Project
Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ Oct 2010
Group Show the Dirty Show 11, Detroit, MI Feb 2010
Art House Co-p, The Sketchbook Project 2011
5X7 The New French Postcard, Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ June 2011
Group Show Postcards from the Edge, New York, NY Jan 2011
Solo Show, Uncooked Culture, http://uncookedculture.com/#/dion-hitchings-cover/4548872110 Jan 2011
Cover Art, Obama Story, Out in New Jersey Feb 2011
Group Show, Comic on Envelope , Jogjakarta Indonesia, April 2011
SIC Magazine, Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ Oct 2010
Cover Story, Dtown Magazine, April 2011
Group Show, Sidetracks Gallery , Naked in New Hope New Hope, PA Sept 2011
Group Show, 82nd Phillips’ Mill Art Exhibition, New Hope, PA Sept 2011
Kentuck Arts Festival, Northport, AL Oct 2011
Art House Co-op, The Sketchbook Project 2012/http://www.arthousecoop.com/library/1718#page-slide_42 the Nursery Rhyme Project Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ Feb 2012
Group Show, The Dirty Show 12 Detroit, MI, Feb 2012
Circus Terminal, International Exhibition Touring Project, UK, Spain, France, Myanmar, New Zealand, Japan, USA and France • 2012 – 2013
The Toy Show, Outsider Art Gallery, Frenchtown, NJ May 2012
Groupshow, Thunder-Sky,Inc. FlyYourOwnFreakFlag, Cincinnati, OH June2012
Parallax AF, New York City, NY August 2-4, 2012
Folk Fest, Atlanta, GA August 17-19, 2012
Group Show, The Dirty Show 13.5 Detroit, MI, Sept 2012
Group Show, Savor, New Hope, PA Sept 2012
Annual Members Show, Arts Council of Princeton’s 45th Anniversary, Princeton, NJ Sept 2012
Group Show, Savor, New Hope Arts, New Hope, PA Sept 2012
Group Show, The Exquisite Corpse Show, Newark, NJ Oct 2012
Group show, 1st Annual Figurative Art Show. Newtown, PA, Dec 2012
1 Comment
Barbara
November 3, 2018
I saw some of dion work st touchstone art gallery in Yardley pa today and it blew my mind. Great
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