* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
Though often steeped in satire, Josh’s drawings and paintings are also suffused with a sincere admiration of our planet. His altered landscapes reveal both the intricacy of the earth as a system and the complexity of our response to the natural world, while retaining a sense of specificity and intimacy.
Raised in Tacoma, Washington, Keyes grew up surrounded by forests, and witnessed their decimation by the logging industry. Josh earned a bachelor’s degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a master’s degree in Fine Arts from Yale University. His work has been published in New American Painters and exhibited in galleries in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and New York.
"First and foremost Josh Keyes is an incredible painter. His technical ability is utterly astounding and I feel fortunate to have had the priviledge of viewing many of his pieces in person. Flawless. Beyond that though, he has a boundless heart coupled with an ability to make astute social/political commentary. His earlier works are familiar to many people as he worked in that style for well over a decade but in recent years he’s been making full background works as a way to expand his narrative. It was a brave step to take but he’s grown enormously as an artist because of it which is a great lesson to any artist feeling boxed in by their concepts of style."
"We remember reading once that Josh grew up with parents who owned an art gallery, which makes total sense. He creates artwork that collectors want to hang on their wall. Period. That sounds trivial, but it's not easy. He's smart enough to be able to create the exact artwork he wants to make, which is absolutely stunning, without making any compromises in order to sell the work, and in turn make a living. It's not an easy give and take, and anyone who has the opportunity to buy a Keyes painting should jump at the chance."
