Tess Gumbin

My work investigates the evolution of human emotion—not just how we feel, but how we recognize, interpret, and expand our emotional vocabulary. I am fascinated by the trajectory of emotional awareness and where this evolution might lead us as a species. Through painting and mixed media, I explore the intricate neural pathways that connect facial expressions to their countless interpretations, like synapses firing across the space between artist and viewer.

I work in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, graphite, and charcoal, with explorations into textile integration. I create portraits, figures, and narratives that function as emotional laboratories. Each piece tests the boundaries of expression—how a slight shift in a subject's gaze can alter meaning, how color temperature can amplify or subdue emotional resonance, how texture can make vulnerability tangible. My practice is deliberately experimental. Because emotional complexity demands varied approaches, I'm reluctant to settle into a single style or medium.
I am drawn to the moments when interpretation becomes uncertain—when a smile might mask pain, when tears could signal joy, when the space between what we show and what we feel becomes visible. These ambiguities are not probl...

As a freshman at my local Uni, I started skipping lectures to watch a talented illustrator and friend work. They taught me how to draw and I skipped more classes. Obsessed as I was, I eventually decided to go to college to do what I was skipping college to do. A few years later, I earned a BFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design.

Ashmore Gallery - Savannah GA