Focus by Tyson Hall

Acrylic on Canvas

24 x 30

Tyson Hall is a New York-based artist and classically trained actor born and raised between the Bronx and Harlem. As an actor, Tyson has starred and created memorable performances in starred in "The Wire," "Law and Order," "Godfather of Harlem," "Marvel's Iron Fist," and HBO's "Boardwalk Empire". His most recent role on STARZ' hit show "Raising Kanan", executive produced by Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, garnered critical acclaim. He has also shared the television screen with Award-winning actors Forest Whitaker and Louise Guzman in the hit series "The Godfather of Harlem" as the character "The Vein" which is featured on the Epix network. Hall was most recognized in the indie film titled "The Pimp" where he played Slim and had the opportunity to co-star with the late rapper "DMX" and Aunjanue Ellis. He was born in Washington Heights, New York across the street from the Audubon Ballroom where civil rights leader Malcolm X was murdered. The activist's impact would later influence pieces of Hall's work that echoed his messages of Black unity and the power of Black economics; pieces that were created decades after Malcolm X's untimely death but are still relevant with today's social and political climate. Hall-who came of age in the Bronx during the birth of hip-hop-has also pulled inspiration from the music genre throughout his career. His first art form was graffiti and then he decided to transition his canvases from MTA trains to sketchbooks. Hall was inspired by the political messages behind the music from groups like Public Enemy and how music mogul Sean Combs remixed soulful tracks from legends like James Brown to introduce that era of music to a new generation. He says incorporating the teachings of Black leaders from the past in his artwork to uplift and inspire the next generation of creatives is something that he strives to do through his work. It was the 1996 film Basquiat that drew him closer to the idea of using art as a form of activism.