Bio

Tristan “TK” Irving is a multidisciplinary artist and cultural storyteller based in Portland, Oregon, with a bicoastal presence that bridges the creative energy of both coasts. His work fuses bold portraiture, abstract form, and vibrant color to explore themes of Black identity, recovery, memory, and collective liberation. Self-taught and grounded in lived experience, TK channels emotion into visual narratives that honor both personal healing and cultural legacy.

His art has been exhibited in major institutions such as the Portland Art Museum and featured in public projects including the PDX Window Project and Brooklyn’s Art Break series. TK’s work is held in prominent private and institutional collections—including the Mark Rothko family collection, Carmelo Anthony, and several U.S. museums. Celebrated for its emotional depth and cultural resonance, his work invites dialogue, reflection, and connection across generations and communities.

With a practice rooted in both community and creativity, TK continues to use art as a tool for visibility, truth-telling, and transformation—building bridges between past and present, struggle and joy, Portland and beyond.

photo by Chris Cook