Safety First Drawing

Terrence Payne is an American artist from the Midwest, currently residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has exhibited his artwork in galleries, universities, and museums throughout the United States, and his work is part of private, museum, and corporate collections worldwide. Terrence's art has received critical acclaim and recognition from various publications such as Beautiful Decay, Juxtapoz, Dwell Magazine, Bust Magazine, It's Nice That, The Jealous Curator, Boooooom, and The Minneapolis Star Tribune. In 2002, Terrence founded Rosalux Gallery, the longest-running artists' collective in Minneapolis, which has helped over 80 Minnesota artists achieve their artistic ambitions and further their studio careers. Terrence has been a leader at Rosalux since its inception. ​ Terrence Payne's art revolves around the theme of community and how people's relationships with each other shape their identities and actions. Using playful yet sophisticated oil pastel drawings, Terrence creates archetypical portraits of various individuals that, when put together, represent different segments of communities and their relationships. He uses a visual language that is easy to understand, along with refined organic forms, patterns, text, and costumes to create a connection with his audience based on shared experiences. Terrence unifies his work using a single pattern to identify the overall theme of the community, allowing the figures, objects, and narratives to define the individuals within it. The humorous and empathetic allegories in his creations may leave more questions than answers, but they undoubtedly offer entertaining comforts for his audience.