Toshy is a dynamic Dutch artist who aims to trigger and inspire. He sees the world as a podium to display art as a communication form without limitations. Influenced by social topics, fashion trends and facts of life, Toshy combines his copywriting and typographic painting skills with and without photography, to create a new style of mixed media “storytelling art”.
Toshy creates a personal story with his art. His works show the world the depths that lie within people as individuals and activates people to think and look different. Toshy has produced live paintings, wall paintings, charity artwork, public shows, art battles and exhibitions as well as commissioned works in countries including the UK, Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Monaco and his native The Netherlands.
His overall message is “The world is your stage!”
About Toshy
Toshy. What's in a name?
Illegal rubbish
At the age of 16 (1986) Toshy saw the documentary "Style Wars" and created his first graffiti paintings. By the urban dictionary he choose for "Toshy" which was slang for "rubbish or crap". Toshy was "too shy" to be proud of his pieces in the streets of The Netherlands so he signed it with "crap (Toshy)". At age 17 he created his first commissioned art and the Dutch press asked him for interviews. He became more famous and to continue his illegal art by night Toshy had to change his tagname over and over again. He used names like "Trouble" - "Scan" - "One" and "STS". At age 19 Toshy stopped with his graffiti activities, the excitement was gone and it was too difficult to work anonymous.
King
When you look up the urban dictionary for "Toshy" the explanation "rubbish" is gone. When you look for "Toshi" you'll get the explanation "King". From illegal (rubbish or crap) graffiti artist in the streets to a king with art in galleries. Storytelling art(ist) Toshy.
Skills
Toshy finished the school of advertising and design and started his carreer as creative director (1993 - 2012).
He developed his skills in illustration, typography, videography, photography, copywriting and graphic design.
Style
Since 2012 Toshy aims to trigger and inspire, and sees the world as a podium to display art as a communication form without limitations. He combines
his typographic graffiti skills wit his personal background, video, 3d
and photography, to create a
new style of mixed media
“storytelling art”.
