Getting spiritual: Thomas Christopher Haag follows his heart in creating 'Ceremony' at Lapis Room

For Thomas Christopher Haag, consciousness studies have always been his constant.

“Art actually came later in life for me,” Haag says. “I didn’t do it in a professional way until about 2004 or 2005. Before I even started doing art for a livelihood, it always seems so far-fetched to make a living in art.”

Flash forward just about 15 years, Haag is making a living as a full-time artist.

His show, “Ceremony,” is currently on display at Lapis Room in Old Town.

“Lapis Room has been a great supporter of my art,” he says. “They wanted a companion exhibit to run alongside Brandon Maldonado’s current one. I was happy to participate. After ‘Ceremony’ closes, the pieces will be incorporated into the Lapis Room rotation.”

Haag was born in Wichita, Kansas.

He took chemistry and math classes at the University of Kansas and then dropped out and started hitchhiking.

He has lived in southern Mexico, Switzerland, India, Spain, the Pacific Northwest and the great American Southwest.

For the past 15 years, he has been involved and obnoxiously in love with the New Mexico art scene, living and working in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos.

When he’s had to work, he’s been a commercial diver, propman, art director, curator and gallery owner.

He also once worked for 11 days in a dog food factory where they made Kibbles’ n Bits, but he prefers to paint.

An avid muralist, he has painted buildings in Oaxaca, Mexico, Barcelona, Spain, Venice, Italy, Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Taos, Bangkok, Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, New Orleans, Oakland, California, and many other places, under the names “Detach,” “Stove” and “El Pituitario.”

He has exhibited with the likes of Shepard Fairey, Chaz Bojorquez, Swoon, Gaia, Slinkachu, Henry Chalfant, Mark Jenkins, Chris Stain and Chip Thomas.

Haag uses reclaimed house paint taken from chemical disposal facilities, found wood and discarded books, and he constructs multilayered, collaged paintings and assemblages which reference ancient cultures and spiritual traditions.

The road to “Ceremony” happened organically.

“These are all works that have been completed in the last year,” Haag says. “I got back into the Shamanic realm and started doing my own version of ceremony. This work came out of that situation.”

“Ceremony” is made up of more than a dozen pieces.

Haag says being able to focus on art full time has been a blessing.

“It’s been about 12 years since I haven’t had a side job,” he explains. “It took awhile for me to surrender to it. I am committed to an art existence.”

Getting spiritual: Thomas Christopher Haag follows his heart in creating 'Ceremony' at Lapis Room

Haag finds himself working on art daily.

After weeks of work in the studio, he will often get away for camping trips.

“Nature helps reset me,” he says. “Art was the only vocation that I could think of, that’s not being a monk. Now I’m making a living making spiritual stuff.”