Born in 1984 in Denver, Colorado, where he currently resides, Tommy McLaughlin graduated from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2016 where he obtained a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in Printmaking.  In 2016, he was awarded the Nagel Art Thesis Award for his senior exhibition at the Center for Visual Art in Denver, titled “you will not remember…”.  After graduation he took a long term hiatus, but has participated in several group exhibitions since 2021.  His works are held in multiple public collections outside of Colorado, including the Portland State University, Pacific Northwest College of Art, and Southern Graphics Council International Archives.  

With a primary focus on bringing a contemporary flair to traditional 2D works including oil painting and printmaking, Tommy McLaughlin’s imaginative practice explores a variety of avenues, from the dark mythos of psychic mindscapes, to classical realist portraiture, to subversive cartoon pop art.   He is most well known for his dark surrealist works which explore personal mythology executed in paint and print, with an emphasis on the imagined form.