Meet Toto of The Toto Theory in Burbank

Today we’d like to introduce you to Toto.

Toto, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Well, I like to say that I’ve always been creative. As a kid, I would enjoy drawing and working on different projects with friends. In high school, I had this little camcorder, and I would go out and film my day. I think that’s when life started to really catch my attention creatively. I was taking a film study class where we dissected films and looked for deeper meaning and connected that to our everyday life.

Once I graduated I had my first experience interning at a film studio where I worked on basic tasks. Shortly after, I moved to another studio where I was a production assistant, and that was where I finally got to work more with the camera, but mostly post-production work. It was no “Hollywood” studio though, nothing glamorous.

We weren’t making blockbuster hits or making music videos. Instead, they focused more on corporate work. But the two things that stood out to me was the teamwork and storytelling. The film company brought projects together from start to finish, so it was interesting seeing different people coming together bringing the final piece to life.

I also found it very intriguing how they found their story and made it interesting. With smaller studios like this, story is all you have. It is the backbone of your work, and that’s what will essentially capture your audience. It wasn’t easy, but it was great seeing how my bosses were able to relate and connect and tell their story in a way that made the audience want to hear more.

I started to want to bring my own stories to life. I was getting a bit burnt out of editing all day, so I transitioned into the art world. I started to paint a lot more and began focusing on my use of color a bit more. I also was really loved thinking about people and their relationships with each other. Painting helped me discover myself a bit more, and through that, I came up with this character Toto.

Toto is an elephant with a human body, it wears a green suit, and that’s kind of who I make my pieces through. A couple of things brought him to life, and I think it was a perfect time and place in my life where it happened. I read that elephant that was held captive as a calf are very easily controlled and manipulated. They tie them up with a rope to stake in the ground, and that’s enough to keep them in place because no matter how hard they try they wouldn’t be able to escape.

But as these elephants grew to their full-grown size, they were still being controlled with the same stake and rope. They already had it in their minds that they couldn’t escape, so they don’t try. They don’t know what they’re capable of. I think art finally showed me that I was truly able to do whatever I wanted, create whatever I wanted, and express things that might not always be easy, and that’s thanks to Toto.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I think I’ve always been my biggest obstacle, and this kind of connects back to the elephant. When I’m pursuing something, and I get stuck on a project, it always helps to look outside of me; think bigger, expand, come up with as many different solutions as possible. Although it can be pretty hard to get through tough moments, my hard work has allowed there to be steady growth and recognition this past couple of years.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with The Toto Theory – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I like to think of The Toto Theory as an equal combination of art, events and community outreach, and education. I, the artist, create work that is personal and expressive. I paint mostly personal pieces that I feel many can relate to. I primarily like to use a comic book-like approach. I enjoy the bright colors and the boldness of the linework. That in itself carries a lot of emotion and displays its subject in an unapologetic way.

I’m mostly known for my annual event ‘The Elephant in the Room,’ a collaborative art show that exhibits multimedia work by local LA artists. It started three years ago when I began painting. As a brand new artist, I did not have a name in the industry yet, so it was hard to find a gallery that would display my work.

This was when I decided to create my own art show. I gathered a few friends, a total of ten artists, and we displayed our work for an evening. A pop-up show. I had live music, paintings, photography… etc. It was a hit! I surprised myself with the turn out of the event. With around 100 attendees, I felt a sense of motivation to turn this into something more. This year was our third annual art show, it grew to 18 artists and have roughly around 500 attendees.

I’m so excited to see what we’re able to achieve in these upcoming years. I would love for The Elephant in the Room to be a place where artists can meet fellow creatives and gain notoriety. I am incredibly proud to be involved with such a collaborative group. Working with others creates a very special sense of unity that inspires everyone involved. It’s not just me; it’s us. And that’s what people might not understand yet. Toto isn’t just me.

Yes, I’m the face of Toto right now, but in reality, Toto is just an idea. You can be Toto, the person next to me can be Toto. Toto is a symbol of overcoming any obstacle and having the perseverance to be anything you want to be. For me, this has all been about the impact I will make on society.

It’s so important to me to bring everyone together and expose them to the raw and honest nature of the art world. I use art as a tool, there’s very little space to hide, and that’s what I love about the media. It’s here to help us be honest with ourselves and with one another.

Although we are all very unique and incredibly special, we are all able to relate to each other on some level and find common ground. Once this can be done, the possibilities are endless to what we can achieve together.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I’m looking forward to expanding the show not only in LA but also going to other cities and exposing local artists in the areas we host it in. We have many projects in the works including a summer event, murals, and our education program. I’m excited to see these things come to light.

Contact Info:

• Website: thetototheory.com
• Email: thetototheory@gmail.com
• Instagram: @thetototheory
• Facebook: thetototheory
• Twitter: @thetototheory

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.