About John

John Tebeau’s paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Detroit and other U. S. cities. His originals and prints belong to collectors all over the world. Even the Bronx.

John is a self-taught artist who began painting after years of working as a cartoonist, illustrator and graphic designer. He lives in New York with his wife Colleen, and paints at his studio in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn.

Selected Exhibitions and Shows (*Solo Shows)

2011

“INANIMATE OBJECTS,” The Hudson Guild, New York, NY

2010

*CONTAMINATE NYC at Root Hill Café, Brooklyn. NY

INSIGHT MAGAZINE ART SHOW, Brooklyn, NY

*ELECTRIC CHEETAH, Grand Rapids, MI

ART JAM, The Hudson Guild, New York, New York

“LINEAGE” Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY

*“FINE CARTOON ART,” Walker Public Library, N. Muskegon. MI

“NAILED!” Brooklyn Waterfront Artists Coalition, Brooklyn, NY

JAN LARSEN GALLERY, New York, NY

“THE POINT SHOW,” Brooklyn, NY

“NEW & USED PAINTINGS,” Sweet Lorraine Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

“THE X INITIATIVE,” New York, NY

2009

THE RED SHOW, Sweet Lorraine Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

ARTPRIZE, Grand Rapids, MI

*DIZZY’S, Brooklyn, NY

“THE SHOW-OFF SHOW”, Sweet Lorraine Gallery, Brooklyn, NY

BWAC STUDIO TOUR, Brooklyn, NY

*VERLAINE, New York, NY

JAZZ AND ART, The Hudson Guild, New York, NY

JAN LARSEN GALLERY, New York, NY

2008

*LOLITA BAR, New York, NY

*ART BAR, New York, NY

BROOKLYN 111, Brooklyn, NY

*ARBOR BREWING COMPANY, Ann Arbor, MI

COMPOSITION, Brooklyn, NY

SHADOW ART FAIR, Ypsilanti, MI

2006

THE DIRTY SHOW, Detroit, MI

TABOR HILL GALLERY, Ann Arbor, MI

2005

*CAFÉ AMBROSIA, Ann Arbor, MI

2004

*PADDED CELL, Royal Oak, MI

*ARBOR BREWING COMPANY, Ann Arbor, MI

Artist’s Statement

I started painting after years of self-taught cartooning, illustration and design. At an early age, I developed a taste for parody and satire. I went nuts for Wacky Packages (collectible stickers that lampooned various consumer products) and the early Mad comic books from the 1950s (available in paperback collections which I discovered at age 12). Since then I’ve enjoyed riffing on, tweaking, and bending images and ideas, in order to say something new, ironic or humorous. It’s conceptual art, sometimes with a joke.

When painting, I often concentrate on design elements and layout. I pick my colors to enhance and fit the feeling of a subject. Humans are keenly tuned in to patterns, balance and color, so I leverage them to intensify mood and stimulate the eye. The paintings are generally meant to make you smile, so enjoy! And if you’re interested in original art, prints, or a commission of your own, please contact me today.