Bio
Fiona Hilton (she/her) is a Bay Area-based impressionistic landscape and cityscape painter. Originally from Los Angeles, Fiona employs a muted color palette inspired by the desolate scenery of her youth: distant city smog, neighboring deserts, and the vast concrete expanse of city sprawl.
Fiona has over 17 years of experience in the arts. In addition to studying painting at Boston University’s College of Fine Arts, she has taken several courses and workshops in a variety of artistic disciplines from silkscreening to product design from top art schools such as the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Otis, UCLA, and ArtCenter. Fiona has also utilized her artistic talents in the film and TV industry, where she spent four years in graphic design and prop painting in Hollywood. She currently works as a graphic designer for the nonprofit The Trevor Project creating resonating illustrations as well as aiding in the development of their pivotal research report graphics.
Photo by Amelia Bateman
Artist Statement
I like my art to serve as reflections of humanity, both the accomplishments and imperfections; I find that painting figurative landscapes and cities reflect both these qualities well. I capture these scenes because I find they act as a portrait of society, rather than a portrait of just one person.
I aim to capture the essence of an environment lived and inhabited by people, so I use impressionism to instill a sense of movement and life into my works even in the absence of literal people. Instead of dwelling on a perfect conventional landscape, I use wisps of messy paint to gesture anything from modern architecture and cracked roads to human silhouettes and graffiti.
To mimic the concept of an imperfect world, I play a lot with the balance between disruption and harmony in my artwork. I often use compositional disturbances such as breaking up my canvases or using off-putting angles and uneven lines to create this energy. In particular, I experiment with breaking up my canvases since it allows for my pieces to be read more as a window, or a visual simulation of how the human eye moves in a new environment. Even among the unconventional or odd perspectives, I strive to create a sense of calmness from my viewers that allows them to then think more consciously about their relationship to their environment.
Exhibitions & Residencies
Sept-Oct 2024 Visiting Artist in Residency
Four week artist residency at The American Academy of Rome Rome, ITALY
September 2024 Purity X Wave
Group show at Wave Collective San Francisco, CA
April 2024 A Family Affair
Group show at Wave Collective San Francisco, CA
August 2022 Generations
Group show at The Brand Library Art Center Los Angeles, CA
March 2022 Open Windows
Solo Show at Project B Gallery at the Mill Contemporary Art Framingham, MA
December 2021 Inside Job II
Group Show at Project B Gallery at the Mill Contemporary Art Framingham, MA
March 2020 L’Appartamento Napoli
One month artist residency at L’Appartamento Napoli Naples, ITALY
Jun - Jul 2019 Boston Friends
Group show at Adelson Galleries Boston, MA
May 2014 39 Artists
Group show at Boston University 808 Gallery Boston, MA
Jan - Feb 2012 Nature’s Helmet
Group show at The Orchard Allston, MA
July 2009 UCLA
Summer Studios group show Los Angeles, CA
Jul 2008 Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Summer studios group show Boston, MA
Education
2010 - 2014 Boston University College of Fine Arts
Painting B.F.A.
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Jan - May 2022 Parsons New School
Motion Graphics with After Effects
Sept - Dec 2018 Art Center College of Art and Design
Advertising Course
June - July 2015 Otis College of Art and Design
Product Design Course
June 2013 COMA Amsterdam / New York
2-Week Intensive Graphic Design Program through Otis College
Jan - May 2013 Scuola Internazionale di Grafica Venezia
Abroad Visual Arts Courses
March 2010 California Art Club
Figure Painting Workshop with Alexey Steele
Sept - Dec 2009 Otis College of Art and Design
Figure Drawing course with Laddie John Dill
June - July 2009 UCLA
Summer Studios courses in Drawing and Painting
Jun - Jul 2008 Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Summer Session Visual Arts Courses
Work
August 2022 - Current The Trevor Project
Graphic Designer
June 2017 - Current Palaver Strings
Graphic Designer
June 2010 - Current Fiona C. Hilton Atelier
Freelance Artist / Graphic Designer
June 2014 - Jan 2021 L.A. Chalkwork
Creative Director / Designer / Installation Artist
Sept 2014 - Dec 2018 Hollywood 3D Printing
Creative Director / Prop Painter / Designer
Summers of 2010-14 Kim McCarty Studio
Artist Assistant
Summers 2009-13 Laddie John Dill Studio
Artist Assistant
Summer of 2013 Malibu Lumber Yard (MLY) Gallery
Design & Gallery Intern