Meet Tripp Gustin
July 2024 Featured Artist
July 2024
Originally from Mobile, Alabama, Tripp Gustin moved to Augusta in 2019 and quickly fell in love with the area and its vibrant arts community. From a young age, Tripp was always passionate about drawing and storytelling. As an artist, its often a phase you don’t grow out of. In 2012 Tripp earned a BA in Advertising and Graphic Design from the University of Alabama, then spent a decade working as a graphic designer in advertising, tourism, and freelance. The launch of Augusta University’s concentration in Animation inspired Tripp to return to school and earn a BFA in 2023.
Following graduation, Tripp immersed in freelance art and design while engaging more with Augusta’s art community. This involvement led to a role with the Greater Augusta Arts Council in March 2024, where Tripp currently thrives in connecting with other artists and creating opportunities for the Augusta River Region’s creative community.
Beyond professional life, Tripp is deeply committed to community development, LGBTQ+ rights, and improving the quality of life overall in Augusta. Joining the board of Augusta Pride, Tripp played a key role in organizing Beats on Broad and the Augusta Pride Festival. In leisure time, Tripp enjoys video games, TTRPGs, running, hiking, fitness, nature, community theatre, and karaoke.
In his art, Tripp enjoys working with various mediums, including comics, illustration, graphic design, animation, and 3D modeling. Although dabbling in painting, writing, photography, sculpture, screen-printing, and game development. Though, Tripp’s heart really belongs to digital visual storytelling.
A major passion project is Trueniverse Comics, which is a multimedia webcomic series in development for the past decade. This project pushes the boundaries of traditional storytelling through comic pages, animated gifs, cinematics, interactive storytelling, and playable browser games.
As far as inspiration goes, Tripp draws it from artists who challenge the norms within their mediums, such as Nam June Paik’s digital sculptures, Andrew Hussie’s multimedia webcomics, and Nick Cave’s wearable Soundsuits. Additionally, graphic and illustrative works that are quirky, queer, colorful, and heartfelt hold a special place in his heart.
Local art groups have also significantly inspired Tripp. Participating in Dr. Sketchy’s Anti Art School figure drawing sessions, witnessing live Artzilla performances, and collaborating with local artists have pushed Tripp to step out of comfort zones, leading to applications for gallery shows and public art projects.
Recently, Tripp ran a successfully funded Kickstarter to print the webcomic, True Colors, which explores themes of growth, self-discovery, and relationships. These books will soon be available on Tripp’s Etsy shop and in local stores, and the story is available online now at Trueniverse. Realizing the dream of creating a comic book has been a significant milestone, and Tripp looks forward to many more projects.
Other recent works include a piece in The Art of the Rings: The Art Towers at Le Chat Noir, the mural “Skyline Spectrum” on the 5th Street Bridge, and an upcoming painted piano in collaboration with Jessye Norman School of the Arts’ Project Forte.
Art enthusiasts can explore Tripp’s webcomics for free at Trueniverse Comics. A portfolio of work is available at Tripp Gustin Creative, with additional pieces on Etsy. He also has a member artist profile on the Arts Council’s Artist Directory. Follow Tripp on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates and artwork.
Tripp Gustin continues to make a significant impact in the Augusta arts community by blending a love for diverse art mediums with a dedication to storytelling and community involvement.
