— Tosh Fomby—

Visual Artist | Storyteller | Educator

Tosh Fomby is an Atlanta-based visual artist whose multidisciplinary practice bridges the worlds of painting, textile art, sculpture, and storytelling. Deeply inspired by memory, family, and Black cultural legacy, Fomby creates richly layered works that merge visual narrative with material experimentation. Her art is a tactile and emotional journey—one that engages viewers in conversations about identity, resilience, and heritage.Fomby’s creative foundation began with a strong grounding in drawing and graphic design, studying at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Early explorations in graphite and pastels evolved into a broader practice that now encompasses acrylic painting, mixed media collage, and three-dimensional textile sculpture. Her visual language is rooted in folk art and Cubist traditions, yet it is uniquely her own—defined by bold color, stylized form, and a sculptural sense of depth and surface.Central to her practice is the reimagining of Black life across generations. Fomby draws upon the textures of her Southern upbringing, the faces and stories of family, and the larger sociocultural history of African American life in the 20th century. Her characters—whether imagined, ancestral, or personal—inhabit narrative scenes that feel both intimate and iconic. Recurrent themes of Black femininity, generational wisdom, and community are rendered with a sensitivity that is both lyrical and architectural.Fomby’s works often feature hand-cut and collaged paper, fabric remnants, found objects, and stitched elements—layered into paintings that evoke patchwork quilts, memory boards, and altars. Her attention to surface and tactility connects deeply with African American craft traditions, particularly quilting and doll-making. These threads are literal in her sculptural dolls—exquisitely rendered figures that speak to cultural continuity and spiritual presence. Created using cloth, yarn, paint, and reclaimed materials, each doll carries symbolic weight, often referencing women of the civil rights era, Pan-African aesthetics, and mid-century fashion.Her visual storytelling practice has found a growing audience in the contemporary art world. Fomby has exhibited at Okeeba Jubalo Gallery (South Carolina), Thelma Harris Art Gallery (Oakland), Diana Shannon Young Fine Art, and others across Chicago and the Southeastern U.S. In 2023, she was the subject of a solo retrospective entitled Once Upon a Time at Okeeba Jubalo Gallery—an exhibition that marked a pivotal moment in her trajectory, showcasing her ability to move fluidly between two-dimensional and sculptural form while maintaining a cohesive narrative vision.Beyond her studio practice, Fomby is a passionate educator and visual literacy advocate. She teaches and mentors K–12 students in Atlanta, using art as a tool for empowerment, self-expression, and historical engagement. Through her public workshops and digital platforms, she opens her creative process to others—inviting conversation around the role of art in shaping identity and healing generational memory.Tosh Fomby’s work stands at the intersection of personal myth and cultural truth. Through her layered canvases and sculptural objects, she invites us to witness not only what is seen, but what is felt and remembered. Her practice is a celebration of beauty, storytelling, and the enduring strength of Black artistry.