Artist Biography Derrick Hickman knew he was an artist from an early age, with his childhood filled with a stock of art supplies and plenty of support from his family.His inspired childhood led him to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Illustration and Advertising from The Columbus College of Art and Design, as well as a BFA in Art Education from Ohio University.After college, Derrick worked for a New York-based commercial mural studio, producing large-scale paintings for retail environments across the country. After several years of working on commercial projects, Derrick established his own studio focusing on residential murals. In 1999, he decided to pursue a completely different career path and began painting for himself as a form of release from the demands of client-driven projects. Artist Statement Derrick Hickman uses images of vintage children’s toys to explore memory and our desire to attach meaning to these symbols of idealized family fun.Brand new, used or stolen, these iconic playthings found their way into most homes and became reliquaries of childhood hope and trauma. Raised in a home that teetered on the edge, economically and emotionally, the artist developed mechanisms for hiding and adapting, some advantageous and others destructive, and explores these mechanisms in his work. Alongside the toys, he places elements of advertising, childlike scribbles and personal writings. By cropping and partially obscuring the text, the viewer can never be sure if they are being directed to or misled by their feelings of connection with the imagery.Derrick Hickman earned a BFA in Illustration from The Columbus College of Art and Design, and later a BFA in Art Education from Ohio University.