Tonya Solley Thornton was born in Niagara Falls, NY but spent most of her childhood in Florida. She received her BFA from Florida State University in 1998, after which she moved to the Bay Area. She later attended Mills College in Oakland, receiving her MFA in 2005. While she is primarily a sculptor, she has worked in a variety of media over the years, including video, photography, drawing and collage. In all of her work, there exists a dichotomy between surface and form. The playful interplay of bright colors and exotic textures suggest a lighthearted optimism, while the doleful droopiness of the underlying forms betray a melancholic despondency. Though her subjects are semi-abstract, decidedly non-human, this dialog between surface and form conveys, in it's own unique way, the complexity of human emotional life.

Tonya is currently living in Asheville, NC with her husband, Trevor, and Mr. Showbiz the Dog.