Why The Art of Dominic Pangborn Never Stops Evolving

Posted April 12, 2018

In Art & Gallery News, Dominic Pangborn, Video

“Born in Korea, refined in America.” That’s how artist Dominic Pangborn describes his early path to becoming an artist.

Now based in Detroit, Pangborn is an internationally famous fine artist and designer. An evolutionist, an entrepreneur, and a visionary, Pangborn has thrilled art lovers for decades with his experimental compositions.

In this exclusive video from Park West Gallery, we’re offered a rare glimpse inside Pangborn’s studio and his ingenious artistic process.

Dominic Pangborn at work in his studio.

Originally born in Korea, Pangborn was adopted by an American family in Michigan when he was 10 years old. His passion for art helped him overcome language barriers in his new home, and his early artistic talent was undeniable.

After studying graphic design at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, Pangborn apprenticed with the Ed Jaster Studio before eventually moving to Detroit to open his own design firm—Pangborn Design.

Corporate clients adored his innovative, eye-catching designs, and Pangborn soon began marketing his own fashion accessories featuring his artwork.

As he opened new Pangborn Design branches in Chicago, New York, and Tokyo, Pangborn found himself interested in returning to his earlier passion for creating fine art.

Dominic Pangborn in his studio.

His renewed interest paid off. Collectors around the world warmly embraced Pangborn’s multi-faceted, evocative art—his works now can be seen in galleries and museums around the world.

Pangborn’s artwork is often noted for its “evolutionary” tendencies because the artist firmly rejects adhering to just one static style of art. In Pangborn’s words, “I like to create things, invent things, make things, so I can never be pigeonholed into just doing a painting.”

“At Nightfall” (2017), Dominic Pangborn

Never content to settle into a single style, technique, or medium, Pangborn continues to experiment with different forms of artistic expression, from paint and clay to fabric and pixel.

“I just take the art world as the same way we live our life,” says Pangborn. “Every day the flavor is different.”