Josh Tripoli is an active artist in Asheville, North Carolina.

For inquiries, commission, or sales requests, please contact Josh Tripoli at jtripoli13@gmail.com.

Artist Statement

In my abstract work, technique is reduced to its most basic communicative function – the mark. A symbolic binary system of markmaking expresses infinite variations as fundamentally equal and essential to the composition. Each mark comprises a relief-like panorama charged with the physical, emotional, and spiritual totality of the creative process – records of active meditation spanning the wonders and tumults of life, love, and fear – each a conduit for self-reflection, discovery, and connection.

Beyond purely figurative and abstract modes of artmaking, my work often strikes a midpoint between the two resulting in a more “surreal” kind of imagery that utilizes elements of both. Syncretism (the amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought) is a concept that I find fascinating and endlessly inspiring as a reflection of world history, our collective humanity and spiritual pursuits.

Artist Bio

I was born in Dixon, IL. My family moved us to Wichita, KS in 3rd grade to be closer to my grandparents. Wichita is where I lived and worked until my partner Rebekah and I moved to Asheville, NC in September of 2021.

I have exhibited widely in Kansas including solo exhibitions at the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery, Reuben Saunders Gallery, Murillo Studios, CityArts, and the Hutchinson Art Center. I have had works accepted into juried exhibitions including the 2020 Salina Biennial and the Abstract National & Oil Painting National Exhibitions at Mark Arts and have also served as a juror for multiple exhibitions and art competitions. I have worked as an Art Director and Project Manager for numerous large-scale public art projects that required the recruitment, training, and management of dozens of volunteers including the Douglas Design District’s “Avenue Art Days” & “2020 Vision” projects, and “ARTLESS,” a collaborative community art event at CityArts in Wichita.

My studio work can be found in many art collections across the country and abroad including notable collections like the Wichita Public Library, the Georg Josef Riedel Collection, the Joseph Goodwin Collection, and the Charles Baker Collection. I am co-founder of Lupoli Collective alongside my partner Rebekah Lewis, well-known in Wichita for our popular murals, illustration & design work. Achievements include the design & execution of 20 murals at the Riverfront Baseball Stadium, designing the 2017 River Festival Poster & Button, creating the iconic “Wichita” murals at College Hill Deli and Reuben Saunders Gallery, and executing murals for the cities of Yuma, Arizona and Hutchinson, Kansas.

I have many years of experience as a former Teaching Artist for Arts Partners Wichita integrating arts programming into classroom and community settings. Over the years, I have worked with thousands of K-12 students in the USD-259 school district developing, refining, and executing programs that provide unique & authentic art experiences spanning a wide range of topics. I was the featured artist for Episode 5 of Blue Barn Productions short documentary series, “Artists in Their Space,” and am a former blog writer for 360wichita.com in which I wrote about local art exhibits and events.

In Asheville, I have participated in a wide range of group shows including “The Nude” at Pink Dog Creative, the Rusty Lotus Dojo’s “Figure Art Exhibition,” “All the Small Things” at the former Foundation Studios in the River Arts District, “Hidden Talents” at BlackBird Frame & Art (where I work full-time as a professional picture framer), two group exhibits at PUSH Skateshop + Gallery, and others. My first solo exhibition in Asheville, “Mantra,” was in 2025 at BlackBird Frame & Art.