Tom Isaacs (b.1985, Oxford, UK) is a contemporary artist, educator, and academic living on Wallumedegal land, Sydney. He is currently the resident artist for the City of Ryde.
Tom’s art practice explores themes of mental health, care, and the profound importance of human relationships and community. He works across a number of different mediums, including performance, textiles, and video, and he draws inspiration from diverse sources, such as psychoanalytic theory, philosophy, poetry, religious and ritual practices, and art history.
In recent years, Tom has been exploring participatory and socially-engaged modes of art practice which involve audiences in the art making process. This exploration has been supported through his involvement in year two of CASE Incubator, a professional development, knowledge sharing and mentorship program led by the CAD Factory.
In 2022, Tom completed a PhD at Sydney College of the Arts, the University of Sydney. His PhD research concerned the relationship between ritual, psychoanalysis and body art, and how these different streams of thought address the problem of alienation. Since 2022, he has taught a range of subjects at the University of Sydney and the National Art School, including Art History, Performance Studies, and Visual Arts.
Tom is currently serving on the board of Cementa Inc.
Tom is a member of Modern Art Projects Blue Mountains (MAPBM) and the Arts Health Network NSW/ACT (AHNNA).
Tom Isaacs 