Grayson Kop
b. 1996 ∙ CE artist since 2022
With a heart full of kindness and a smile that lights up the room, Grayson Kop is Creativity Explored’s locomotive-loving artist extraordinaire!
Grayson’s passion for trains (especially Thomas the Tank Engine, a figure that appears repeatedly in his art) is matched only by his love for drawing. He fuels his creativity with images of his favorite trains, animals, and beloved characters from movies, like Mary Poppins.
While Grayson likes perusing images for inspiration, he's also a master of combining elements from different sources (including his imagination or suggestions from Teaching Artists) to create something entirely unique. Armed with his trusty coloring pencils and markers, he organizes and orders illustrations of familiar characters (Willy Wonka, Harry Potter, Chinese dragons) in white space to create peculiar and thought-provoking works. These works often feature snippets of text, sometimes details providing information on the characters in the piece — “Thomas Halloween Adventures DVD,” or “Circus Circus Las Vages Hotel.”
In the studio, Grayson loves chatting with fellow artists Hiro Medina and Charles Stanberry, belting out tunes, and diving headfirst into his latest artistic endeavor. His morning ritual consists of wandering around the studio and saying ‘hi’ to friends, soaking in inspiration before settling in at his workstation with coloring pencils and markers.
Shop works by Grayson Kop
Select Exhibitions & Projects
2023
Into the Brightness, Oakland Museum of CA, Oakland, CA