ARTIST STATEMENT
My artwork lives in the space between the familiar and unfamiliar, spanning intimate studio paintings and large-scale public murals. I’m drawn to storytelling that merges realism with surreal, weaving together personal and collective narratives - moments where the ordinary tips into the uncanny.
In my murals, I balance precision with spontaneity, grounding bold, imaginative gestures in tangible forms. Whether on a gallery wall or city streets, I want the work to feel both immediate and otherworldly, inviting viewers to inhabit that tension.
At its core, my practice thrives on contrast: the real and the imagined, the monumental and the intimate. Art, for me, is about connection - to place, to memory, to the stories we share. I aim to create work that resonates on a visceral level, challenging perceptions while leaving room for the viewer’s own echoes to fill the gaps.
ARTIST BIO
Chuck Tingley is a Buffalo-based artist whose work bridges abstraction and realism, creating distinctly contemporary drawings, paintings, and murals. A graduate of SUNY Buffalo State (BFA, Painting), he maintains an art studio in Buffalo’s Clinton/Bailey neighborhood and has become a leading voice in public art across the region.
Tingley’s large-scale and studio work has been commissioned by institutions such as the Buffalo AKG Art Museum and Rhinegeist Brewery (Cincinnati, OH), with additional public art projects spanning Western NY - from Buffalo and Niagara Falls to Hamburg, Lewiston, and Medina. Recognized for his cultural impact, Tingley was named a finalist for the Spark Cultural Award’s Artist of the Year (2016, Arts Services Initiative of WNY). His portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. graced the cover of Condé Nast magazine (2018), and in 2022, he designed the full album artwork for the Goo Goo Dolls’ LP Chaos in Bloom.
Currently, Tingley’s work is featured in Hi-Vis, a Buffalo AKG Art Museum group exhibition celebrating artists of its Public Art Initiative - a testament to his enduring role in shaping the region’s visual landscape.