Painter Hayes is the artist duo of Sarah Painter and Cosby Hayes. Based in Tallahassee, Florida they both attended the College of Fine Arts at Florida State University and have been painting together since 2017. The pedagogical approach of muralists like Diego Rivera and Thomas Hart Benton serve as inspiration for the pair. Rivera and Benton’s use of history, scale and the stylization of their subject matter told grand stories of clashing economic and social forces on their lives. In an effort to expand upon this, SPCH is heavily influenced by the social, political and economic issues of our world. Hayes and Painter’s work focuses on unity and the collective strength we have when we come together for a common cause. It is within this notion of solidarity that their work explores the human condition and social relations between people and their environments. The duo’s work has taken them to Argentina, Haiti, Canada, Spain and Portugal as well as cities across the United States where they have been commissioned by city governments, nonprofits and businesses to bring color and energy to walls throughout their hometown.

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Photograph courtesy of Ruben Garcia