Michael C. Thorpe American, b. 1993
Michael C. Thorpe (born 1993, NY) is an innovative artist based in Brooklyn, New York, primarily known for his textile work. Raised in Newton, MA, he graduated from Emerson College with a degree in photojournalism. Thorpe pushes the boundaries of traditional quilting, often describing his practice as "painting" with fabric. His work exists in a unique space between abstract painting and figurative quilting. Bold colors, raw edges, and powerful compositions redefine a medium often considered matronly and docile. Through quilting, he explores themes of identity, social issues, humor, and sports.
Although Thorpe’s practice is ever-evolving, certain signature aspects of his process remain constant. He employs automatism in his creative process, establishing personal rules and structuring his time to allow his subconscious mind more freedom and fluidity. This approach, combined with his active resistance to traditional color theory, gives Thorpe's compositions a strong sense of individuality. His pieces often leave space for viewer interpretation, as his titles and depictions feel like puzzles, encouraging deeper engagement and personal meaning.
Thorpe has garnered significant recognition with solo exhibitions in prestigious galleries and museums. He has had solo exhibitions at LaiSun Keane Gallery (Boston, MA), Forum Gallery (NYC, NY), Luis Buhl Gallery (Detroit, MI), and Anthony Gallery (Chicago, IL). His solo museum exhibitions include the Paul R. Jones Museum (Tuscaloosa, AL), Delaware Contemporary (Wilmington, DE), Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), Hickory Museum of Art (Hickory, NC), and the forthcoming California Heritage Museum (Santa Monica, CA). His work has been shown at multiple art fairs, including Untitled Miami, Spring/Break NYC, Art on Paper NYC, Art Miami, Expo Chicago, and the forthcoming Swab Barcelona. His work is also part of the permanent collections at the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), Fuller Craft Museum (Brockton, MA), and the Birmingham Museum of Art (Birmingham, AL).
LaiSun Keane has worked with Michael since the summer of 2020.
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Michael C. Thorpe: Barstool Sports
Solo Exhibition 6 Sep - 27 Oct 2024We are pleased to announce Michael C. Thorpe's second solo exhibition with our gallery, "Barstool Sports", September 6th to October 27th, 2024.Read more -
POP-UP UES FALL 2023
Art Fair week in NYC 7 - 10 Sep 2023Pop-Up in New York City organized by LaiSun Keane in collaboration with Brock & Co. Located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan showcasing ARTISTS : WILLEM DE KOONING • ARTHUR DOVE • MERION ESTES • LEON GOLUB • MICHAEL C. THORPE • KIKUO SAITO • HANNAH WILKE • CHARLES YUENRead more -
Come Together: A Curated Gallery Selection
Eva Lewis • Kyra Gregory • Ray Hwang • Susan Metrican • Buket Savci • Michael C. Thorpe • Mary Tooley Parker • Chase Travaille • Charles Yuen 31 Mar - 16 Apr 2023LaiSun Keane is thrilled to announce a group exhibition from March 31st to April 16th, highlighting a few select artists we have had the pleasure of working with. The exhibition is titled Come Together, which may be familiar to many Beatles fans, but to us, it expresses our ongoing focus on inclusivity and diversity. Featured artists: Kyra Gregory, Ray Hwang, Eva Lewis, Susan Metrican, Mary Tooley Parker, Chase Travaille, Michael C. Thorpe, Buket Savci and Charles Yuen.Read more -
Nonsensical Formalism
Michael C. Thorpe Solo Exhibition at Paul R. Jones Museum 3 Mar - 28 Apr 2023Michael C. Thorpe Solo Exhibition at Paul R. Jones MuseumRead more -
STITCH!
LoVid • Mary Tooley Parker • Michael C. Thorpe • Stacey Lee Webber 8 Jul - 21 Aug 2022LaiSun Keane is pleased to present a fiber and textile art group presentation, STITCH! featuring LoVid • Mary Tooley Parker • Michael C. Thorpe • Stacey Lee Webber on view from July 8 - August 21, 2022.Read more -
Summer Group Show
Nina Bellucci • Demetri Espinosa • Steve Keister • Alysia Macaulay • Anina Major • Tony Marsh • Jonathan Peck • Michael C. Thorpe 24 Jul - 28 Aug 2021We are pleased to showcase a summer group show featuring a special selection of work from our gallery artists and two guest artists. Michael C Thorpe, Anina Major and others. Showcased at LaiSun Keane, Boston MA.Read more -
Meandering Thoughts
Michael C. Thorpe 15 Apr - 29 May 2021This exhibition is a statement of Thorpe’s journey; a dream come true yet far from over. The works tell stories of his life through a dream-like lens with humor and introspect.Read more -
Michael C. Thorpe: Works on Paper
Michael C. Thorpe 30 Oct - 28 Nov 2020Presenting an exclusive group of paper collages by Michael C. Thorpe who is experiencing a meteoric rise in the Boston art scene. His collages are inspired by Pro-basketball, text art and the post-modern practice of appropriation.Read more
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Swab Barcelona Art Fair
Danyang Song and Michael C. Thorpe 3 - 6 Oct 2024We are pleased to participated for the first time, Swab Barcelona Art Fair from October 3rd to 6th, 2024. Our two artist booth features Michael C. Thorpe and Danyang Song.Read more -
Art On Paper, 2022, NYC
Michael C. Thorpe | Buket Savci | Charles Yuen 8 - 11 Sep 2022Art On Paper NYC 2022, Art Fair, LaiSun KeaneRead more -
UNTITLED Art, Miami, 2021
Michael C. Thorpe 29 Nov - 4 Dec 2021Untitled Art Miami 2021, Art Fair, LaiSun KeaneRead more -
Art On Paper, 2021, NYC
Michael C. Thorpe + Josef Albers, Milton Avery, Sally Michel Avery, Willem de Kooning, Robert Kulicke, Richard Diebenkorn, Arthur Garfield Dove, Hans Hofmann, Gerhard Richter, Hannah Wilke 9 - 12 Sep 2021Art On Paper 2021, Art Fair, LaiSun KeaneRead more -
Spring/Break Art Show, 2021, NYC
Phantasmagoria: Michael C Thorpe + Mary Tooley Parker 8 - 16 Sep 2021Spring/Break Art Show NYC 2021, Art Fair, LaiSun KeaneRead more
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At LaiSun Keane, Michael C. Thorpe’s Quilts Challenge Convention in “Barstool Sports”
by Erwin Kamuene at Boston Art Review September 17, 2024Michael C Thorpe's solo exhibition Barstool Sports at LaiSun Keane is reviewed by BAR.Read more -
Art Spiel Picks: Boston Exhibitions in September 2024
by Andrew Fish September 14, 2024Andrew Fish covers Boston exhibitions for September 2024 and included Michael C. Thorpe's solo exhibition "Barstool Sports" as one this picks.Read more -
Nonsensical Formalism
Michael C. Thorpe Solo Exhibition at Paul R. Jones Museum March 3 - April 28, 2023Michael C. Thorpe, Nonsensical Formalism, solo exhibition at Paul R. Jones Museum, Tuscaloosa, ALRead more -
The Boston Globe Reviews STITCH!
At LaiSun Keane, Group Exhibition July 26, 2022The Boston Globe, At LaiSun Keane, the united state of stitchRead more -
CNN Style
Quilty pleasure: Why your grandmother's quilt is today's luxury fashion staple January 13, 2022CNN Style, Michael C. Thorpe, LaiSun KeaneRead more -
Artscope May/June 2021
Revival Craft at LaiSun Keane May 15, 2021Artscope, Michael C Thorpe "Meandering Thoughts" solo exhibition at LaiSun KeaneRead more -
Sew & So...
Episode 08: Michael C Thorpe May 7, 2021Sew & So..., Episode 08: Michael C Thorpe, LaiSun KeaneRead more -
Boston Art Review
Last Chance: Michael C. Thorpe On Quilting a Dream May 5, 2021Boston Art Review, Michael C. Thorpe solo exhibition at LaiSun KeaneRead more -
The Boston Globe
He was an MVP basketball player. Now his star is rising as an art quilter April 15, 2021The Boston Globe, Michael C. Thorpe solo exhibition at LaiSun KeaneRead more -
MFA Boston
Pictorial Quilt - Michael C. Thorpe June 3, 2020MFA Boston, Michael C. Thorpe, LaiSun KeaneRead more
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Michael C. Thorpe, RTB, 2022Sold
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Michael C. Thorpe, Newton North vs BC High, 2022Sold
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Michael C. Thorpe, Gloucester, 2022Sold