Tom Bitt — Contemporary Art Curator Magazine

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Tom Bitt’s artistic journey is one of profound introspection and transformation, culminating in a body of work that pushes the boundaries of abstract painting. His art captures raw emotional energy, creating tactile compositions that vibrate with a striking interplay of color, texture, and form. Bitt’s work is a meditation on authenticity, self-discovery, and resistance to societal constraints, and it resonates with an honesty that is rare in the contemporary art scene.

Born in Hradec Králové, Bitt's early artistic inclinations led him to study Artistic Woodworking in 1996. He initially channeled his creativity into wood sculptures and puppet-making, but this period of craft, while skilled, left him searching for deeper meaning. Woodworking, with its rigid structures and utilitarian demands, ultimately did not fulfill his desire for self-expression. His journey took a pivotal turn in 2020, when he abandoned the familiarity of traditional craft and embraced the liberating world of abstract oil painting. This shift marked not only a technical evolution but also a philosophical awakening.

Bitt’s works are complex, layered compositions that evoke visceral responses through a sophisticated use of materials. His background in woodworking lends him an intuitive understanding of structure and form, an insight he adapts to his paintings by building three-dimensional textures on canvas. By integrating paints, phosphorescent materials, and fluorescent hues, he creates works that are alive in multiple light spectrums—each painting holds a unique expression in daylight, ultraviolet, and darkness. This interplay offers viewers a multi-sensory experience, inviting them to explore the emotional resonance of each piece from various perspectives. His structural approach is enriched by his ability to visualize forms within material; as he explains, “It was not a problem to make a wooden sculpture without a drawing, because I saw it in the material.” This innate spatial sensitivity now manifests in layers of paint and texture, giving each piece a sense of sculptural presence on a two-dimensional plane.

Bitt’s path from woodworking to abstract painting was more than a career shift; it was a response to an internal struggle. Throughout his life, Bitt grappled with the constraints of self-denial and the expectations of conformity, pressures that led him into a period of addiction. Through therapy, he unearthed the depth of his emotions and liberated himself from fear, embracing an urge to share his journey with others. Abstract painting became his medium of liberation, providing the space to externalize and share the energies of self-acceptance, resilience, and transformation. In his words, “Abstract painting gave me space to explore and spread the energies that every feeling, every emotion and every one you know.” Bitt’s art thus serves as a powerful invitation for others to engage with their own emotions, making his work an empathetic bridge between the artist and the viewer.

Thematically, Bitt’s work is grounded in a critique of consumer society and the illusion of happiness it promotes. Having consciously stepped away from a consumerist lifestyle, he sees his art as a medium for addressing the superficiality he perceives in modern existence. He examines the “gaps” in interpersonal relationships and reflects on how convenience and material pursuits often overshadow deeper connections and self-awareness. This theme is especially pronounced in his use of materials. By incorporating phosphor and fluorescent paints, Bitt’s pieces literally shift in appearance based on the surrounding light, symbolizing the transient and often deceptive nature of human perceptions of well-being. In his work, light becomes a metaphor for clarity, while darkness reveals the structural integrity beneath the surface layers—mirroring the way genuine contentment must be built upon a deeper foundation.

Bitt's resistance to criticism further amplifies the authenticity of his art. For him, criticism is simply an external opinion and does not interfere with his creative process or alter his themes. He paints what he feels, creating an art practice rooted in genuine self-expression rather than external validation. This steadfast commitment to his vision and experiences makes his work both personal and universally resonant. By refusing to dilute his themes or techniques to meet conventional expectations, Bitt establishes himself as an artist driven by conviction and emotional honesty.

Looking forward, Bitt envisions his art evolving to connect with a younger audience. He sees in youth a potential for openness and transformation, and he intends to use his innovative techniques to create engaging, multidimensional works that speak to the curiosity and imagination of children and young adults. His upcoming exhibition in Prague with painter Jakka Jang is particularly intriguing, as it juxtaposes his introspective abstract works with Jang’s tangible, realistic representations of the external world. This collaboration will offer an exploration of both inner and outer landscapes, showcasing the distinct ways that art can capture and express the human experience.

Bitt’s approach to his art practice is refreshingly adaptive and responsive to his surroundings, yet it is also grounded in a respect for the materials he works with. His technical training provides a unique advantage in handling diverse media, allowing him to blend an industrial perspective with his emotive content. Each painting is not only a finished work of art but also a tactile record of experimentation, capturing his ongoing exploration of shape, texture, and color as languages of emotion. His commitment to sustainability also speaks to his rejection of the commodified art world. Rather than producing art to fit market trends, he chooses materials and themes that resonate with his personal values, imbuing his paintings with an ethical dimension that enriches their visual and emotional impact.

In a contemporary art world that often prioritizes conceptual abstraction over raw emotion, Bitt’s work is a reminder of the power of feeling as a valid and essential component of artistic expression. His paintings resist easy interpretation, instead inviting viewers to experience them viscerally. By tapping into universal themes of self-discovery and authenticity, he positions himself within a long tradition of artists who use abstraction to transcend personal narratives and reach collective truths.

The deeply personal journey underlying his art, from self-denial to self-acceptance, informs every aspect of Bitt’s practice, making his paintings not just artworks but embodiments of a philosophical and emotional journey. His use of innovative materials and his resistance to consumerist pressures make him an artist who not only adds visual interest to the contemporary art scene but also contributes a critical perspective on the nature of fulfillment and connection in an age dominated by superficiality. Through his work, Bitt offers a quiet yet compelling challenge to his audience: to look beyond the immediate, the convenient, and the visible, and to engage with the unspoken and the unseen.

Tom Bitt stands out in the contemporary art world as an artist who is unafraid to lay bare his struggles, his beliefs, and his passions. His work is a unique synthesis of technical skill and emotional candor, and his refusal to compromise his vision places him among a rare group of contemporary artists who view painting as an act of communion, both with oneself and with the world. In this sense, Bitt’s art is not only visually arresting but also profoundly relevant—an invitation to reconnect with the emotions and values that lie at the core of human experience. Through his vibrant textures, shifting colors, and structural complexity, he creates a dialogue that is as introspective as it is universal, offering a truly compelling contribution to the world of abstract art.

Tom Bitt's artworks are vivid explorations of texture, color, and emotional depth, drawing the viewer into a multi-layered experience that transcends the purely visual. Each piece pulsates with a kinetic energy, as if capturing the very act of creation itself. His work seems to transform the canvas into a sensory playground, where thickly applied pigments, phosphorescent paints, and expressive textures come together to form immersive compositions. Bitt’s paintings possess an intensity that speaks directly to the viewer’s emotions, making each artwork not just a piece to be viewed but an experience to be felt.

Bitt’s journey from traditional woodworking to abstract painting has infused his work with a unique structural sensibility. His technical education in woodworking allowed him to develop a profound understanding of form, which he now translates into his canvases by creating three-dimensional layers of color and texture. This structural approach gives his paintings a tangible, almost sculptural quality, with each piece inviting exploration from different angles. He constructs his pieces with a combination of paint and mixed media, creating surfaces that appear to break free from the confines of the canvas. This combination of depth and surface tension is particularly powerful, as it resonates with the themes of self-discovery and emotional release that drive his artistic practice.

One of the most striking aspects of Bitt’s work is his use of phosphorescent and fluorescent paints. This choice of materials gives his paintings a dynamic character, allowing them to shift in appearance under different lighting conditions. In daylight, they radiate with vivid hues and intricate details, while under ultraviolet or in dim light, they reveal hidden layers and subtle shifts in tone. This technique not only enhances the visual experience but also serves as a metaphor for the multifaceted nature of human emotions and experiences. It captures the idea that beneath our visible exterior, there are layers of complexity and change—an inner world that Bitt’s paintings seek to illuminate.

The painting series shown here showcases Bitt’s signature approach, where organic forms and geometric structures collide in a whirlwind of colors. Each work contains a central focus or a collection of intersecting forms that draw the eye inward. In the first image, for instance, the composition centers on a rectangular form with columns of color that seem to float within a textured, chaotic field. The vibrant blues, oranges, and greens are framed by darker, almost cavernous textures that suggest both containment and release. This contrast between structure and spontaneity reflects Bitt’s personal narrative of breaking free from societal expectations to embrace authenticity. There’s a sense of an enclosed space within this piece, but also an explosion of energy pushing outward—a dynamic interplay that captures the tension between self-restraint and self-expression.

In another painting, Bitt constructs a complex, vertical composition that exudes warmth and depth. Swathes of reds, yellows, and blues interlace, forming a layered, almost geological effect. Here, Bitt’s use of linework and layering is reminiscent of stratified rock or ancient city walls, each layer adding to the history and depth of the piece. The physicality of the materials, combined with the expressive brushstrokes, suggests both the passage of time and the endurance of emotions. The viewer is drawn into the piece, exploring each layer as though uncovering personal histories or buried memories. There’s a ruggedness to the texture that speaks to resilience, a concept that aligns with Bitt’s own journey of overcoming personal struggles and embracing a new life of creative freedom.

A particularly captivating work in this collection is the circular painting framed in a green and blue ring. This round format feels like a portal, a lens into another world. The interior composition is dominated by vivid colors, with textured strips running vertically across the surface, giving the impression of organic growth or the branching of neural pathways. The circular frame amplifies this organic, almost cellular theme, suggesting life, renewal, and cyclical energy. It’s a piece that invites the viewer to move closer, to inspect each stroke and texture within this contained space. The round shape feels both cosmic and microscopic, as if Bitt is exploring the building blocks of human consciousness and emotion.

Bitt’s triptych of vibrant, intersecting lines and angled shapes demonstrates his control over composition and color harmony. Each panel features energetic slashes of red, yellow, and green, creating a sense of movement across the trio. The lines cross over each other in dynamic intersections, giving the impression of overlapping perspectives or shifting viewpoints. This work speaks to the interconnectedness of thought and feeling, and the dissonance of competing emotions. Viewed as a whole, the triptych has a rhythm to it, almost musical in nature, where each line and color beat works in harmony with the others, but also maintains a sense of individuality. The balance of chaos and order here is invigorating, reflecting the emotional complexity that defines Bitt’s abstract style.

In another piece, Bitt takes a darker approach, using deep reds, blacks, and subtle highlights of blue and green. This work features prominent linear marks crisscrossing the surface, adding a sense of structure and confinement to an otherwise free-flowing composition. The palette suggests an emotional gravity, perhaps hinting at themes of confinement or introspection. Despite the darker tones, there’s a vibrancy within the layers, as though Bitt is illustrating the persistence of life and color even in the shadows. This painting feels intensely personal, embodying a sense of struggle but also a will to transcend.

Bitt’s decision to move away from a consumer-oriented lifestyle and embrace a more self-sustaining, mindful existence is reflected in his work’s themes. His paintings critique the superficiality of modern life and the disconnect often found in relationships dominated by convenience. Instead, his works advocate for a return to authenticity, for an awakening to the deeper joys of self-discovery. Bitt’s use of raw, layered textures and luminescent colors echoes his message of peeling back the layers, moving beyond the surface, and discovering what lies beneath. He sees the ubiquitous “illusion of well-being” in society, and his paintings seek to break through this illusion by presenting layers of reality and illusion in color and form.

Tom Bitt’s work resonates not only because of its visual richness but because it serves as a statement of resilience and personal liberation. His pieces invite viewers to confront their own emotions, to recognize the hidden layers within themselves, and to embrace both light and shadow. By creating works that change with light, he reminds us that perception is malleable, and that understanding comes in stages. Through each piece, he provides a powerful metaphor for personal growth, urging viewers to shed their own layers, confront their inner worlds, and emerge transformed.

In the contemporary art scene, Bitt’s work stands out as a dialogue between structure and spontaneity, restraint and release. His use of phosphorescent paints, combined with his technical expertise, creates a new experience of abstract painting, one that merges the traditional and the experimental. His career shift from woodworking to painting represents a courageous embrace of the unknown, and his paintings encapsulate this spirit of exploration. Each piece is a testament to the power of art as a tool for introspection, as well as a means to challenge societal norms. Through his work, Tom Bitt not only explores his own journey but also invites others to embark on their own path toward authenticity. His paintings are windows into a world where emotion, form, and light converge to create profound, transformative experiences.

By Marta Puig

Editor Contemporary Art Curator Magazine