About

Wes Coke (b. 1978) is a figurative oil painter living with his wife and daughter in Fort Worth, Texas. He was born and raised in DFW and studied bronze sculpture at the University of North Texas, finishing in 2003. He’s been a working, commissioned artist since 2018 and started painting in 2020. His work focuses on the human figure and varies in style.

Artist Statement

As a figurative oil painter, I am driven by the dance between form and emotion, exploring the human experience through the intimate lens of the human body. My work is a testament to the power of storytelling through imagery, capturing moments of vulnerability, strength, and introspection. I do seek to capture the physical likeness of my subjects, but my focus is the essence of their inner worlds.

Ultimately, my goal is to create a space for contemplation and dialogue, where the beauty and complexity of the human experience can be celebrated and explored with reverence and curiosity.

Awards

2024 Sam and Priscilla McCall Award- Preservation is the Art of the City presented by Historic Fort Worth

2024 Top Prize- Onderdonk Purchase Award- San Antonio Art League and Musuem

2023 Thistlethwaite Family Award- Preservation is the Art of the City presented by Historic Fort Worth

2024

Fresh Ideas- Visual Art League of Lewisville

Fall Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

Preservation is the Art of the City- Historic Fort Worth

18th Annual Texas Artists Coalition Juried Exhibition- Arts Fort Worth

31st Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

Yee-Haw- Group show- RTown Gallery

Spring Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

Art214 Biennial Juried Exhibition- Oak Cliff Cultural Center

Art 214 Biennial Juried Exhibition- Moody Performance Hall

Grapevine Contemporary- RTown Gallery

94th Annual Juried Exhibition- San Antonio Arts League & Museum

2023

30th Annual New Texas Talent Exhibition- Craighead Green Gallery

17th Annual Texas Artists Coalition Juried Exhibition- Arts Fort Worth

Contemporary Now- Art Room

Preservation is the Art of the City- Historic Fort Worth

Fall Gallery Night- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

Rio Brazos Art Exhibition- Stephen F Austin University

The Lone Star Sings: Portraits of Texas Musicians- Create Arlington

2022

9th Annual Texas Juried Exhibition- Artspace 111

The Art of Living- Briggs Freeman-Sotheby’s

Group Show- Catalyst Creative Arts

2021

Juxtapositions, Dichotomies and Oxymorons, Oh My!- Studio Arthouse Gallery

Pigments of Your Imagination- Studio Arthouse Gallery

Keller’s Got Talent- City of Keller