Albuquerque-based artist Tori Solomon radiates color and whimsy. It’s in her nature to hop around—from one city to another, from one medium to another—her energy as dynamic as the vibrant hues that define her work. She is, above all, an artist obsessed with color, particularly the bold, fluorescent shades that seem to sing and glow. When her pieces are exposed to blacklight, they appear to transcend the physical canvas, leaping out with a luminous life of their own.
At 30, Solomon’s artistic journey has been one of experimentation and defiance of expectations. For someone whose Instagram (@Tori_Lynn_15) is filled with playful, effervescent images, her path hasn’t always been paved with the same brightness her art evokes. Yet, much like her creations, Solomon has found a way to thrive in the cracks, growing where she’s planted.
Her latest project for a local gallery show, titled “A Flight of Empowerment,” reflects these very themes. “My piece, ‘Grow Where You’re Planted,’ is inspired by the resilience of women. It features a daisy growing from the cracks of a sidewalk, stretching toward the sun,” she explains. The piece, accompanied by a handwritten narrative, symbolizes the struggles and triumphs of women. “We live in a world that’s often built to cater to men, yet women have always found a way to flourish.”
Solomon knows this struggle firsthand. After earning her degree in art, she moved to North Carolina, filled with excitement about the career possibilities before her. One opportunity, in particular, caught her eye—a jeweler’s apprenticeship with a prominent company. She arrived at the interview with her enthusiasm on full display. It was immediately clear, though, that Kim, the woman conducting the interview, was perplexed. “She asked me about my experience and, after a while, simply told me that I didn’t want the job,” Solomon recounts. The reason? “I was a girl. And, in her words, girls didn’t want dirty jobs.”
For Solomon, that interview marked a disheartening moment in her early career, made more unsettling because the discouragement came from another woman. “It was an interaction I would expect from a man, but coming from a fellow woman, it caught me off guard,” she says. Yet Solomon, fueled by a tenacity inherited from the many strong women who have inspired her, refused to give up. She walked out of that interview and into a career that allowed her to forge her own path, albeit different from the one she had originally envisioned.
Her artistic style reflects this journey. Bright, colorful, and whimsical, her work channels the defiance of convention that has marked her own life. She has become known for her use of fluorescent paints that, under the right light, seem to defy the ordinary, much like the artist herself. Her pieces are celebrations of color and spirit, created with a sense of fun and joy that belies the struggle behind them. “My work is vibrant because that’s who I am,” she says. “And if I can inspire others, particularly women, to embrace their own vibrancy, then I’m doing what I set out to do.”
Solomon’s connection to the women around her extends far beyond her art. To her, “A Flight of Empowerment” encapsulates the idea of community, particularly the way women support one another in moments of vulnerability and strength. “Even when it’s a stranger, women have a way of lifting each other up,” she says, recounting moments of camaraderie found in unexpected places, such as the women’s bathroom at a bar. “Women encourage one another to be their best because we know that we’re all facing similar struggles.”
This sense of community found Solomon through Songbird Artistry and LocalGood, organizations that have helped her cultivate her professional life. “I was introduced to Desiree through a dear friend, and she pulled me into LocalGood,” she says. “It’s been an incredible journey, fostering connections in the art world and helping me grow as an artist.” Solomon’s contribution to “A Flight of Empowerment” speaks to this journey, echoing the voices of the women who’ve stood by her and those who have come before her. Like the daisy in her painting, Solomon continues to reach for the sun, her vibrant colors glowing defiantly, even in the dark.
Tori Solomon’s art will be part of the upcoming exhibit at Songbird Artistry. The show will run from September 13th through the end of the year. Details for the event are listed below and all are welcome to attend!
Artist Reception: September 13, 2024, 6:00-9:00 PM
Open House: September 14, 2024, 12:00-5:00 PM
Location: Songbird Artistry, 4316 Penn Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15224 (across from Children’s Hospital).
FREE and open to the public
Exhibit will run through the end of the year.
For more information, please visit Songbird Artistry’s website here.