Anyone, around Providence, RI,  who knows Christopher Thomas’ Steampunk artwork, knows that it is like opening Christmas gifts wrapped in pretty decorations.  You can’t just admire the beautiful wrapping paper and ribbon; you are anxious to know what is inside.  And once you open the artwork, you find an even more beautiful and very unique surprise.

Since a major seizure episode, in 2007, that caused him to hit his head, and land him in the hospital, Christopher Thomas has been seeing gears and patterns that have caused him to create some of the most beautiful pieces of Steampunk Art.  Some of these pieces have been featured in local art galleries and shows such as the AIDS Care Ocean State Annual Art Beat Auctions, the Storybook Ball hosted by Women and Infants Hospital, the AS220 Gallery, University of Rhode Island Steampunk Art Show, and the list goes on.  The designs for these gears and patterns come to him during episodes of severe migraine attacks that will cause him to go without sleep for days.  These migraines and seizures that occur in Thomas’ life are his inspiration for all of his artwork.  The designs explore the inner crisis that is happening while he is having a migraine or seizure.  If you happen to hear him talk about destroying a piece that he has created, it is because it reminds him of what he went through during that particular episode.  

Thomas does not have any formal training or education in art, accept from high school, but he does have a degree in Physical Therapy, which he received from the University of Rhode Island in 1991.  He gives credit to his inspiration from watching his father when he was younger.  Thomas’s father was very detailed when it came to drawing beautiful pictures.  Having no formal education makes his ability to create these beautiful pieces of art simply amazing.  His first piece was of a clock that he designed for his father; which his father was unable to see finished before he died.  Thomas truly believes that his talent is a God-given gift.  

Thomas was born and raised in Rhode Island and is currently a native of his hometown.  He is heavily involved in his community and ultimately desires to use his gift as a platform for other migraine sufferers.