Quick Facts

• Full Name: Robert Anthony Sims
• Professional Name: Anthony Sims
• Born: October 11, 1998
• Birthplace: Southaven, Mississippi, United States
• Nationality: American
• Occupation: Contemporary Artist, Automation Engineer, Entrepreneur
• Website: anthonysims.art
• Instagram: @asimsart
• Twitter/X: @asimsart
• YouTube: @anthonysims
• Current Residence: Mississippi, United States

Career Statistics

Biography

Anthony Sims is an American contemporary artist whose work combines elements of neo-expressionism, abstraction, street culture, digital media, and personal narrative. Emerging from the Memphis art community, Sims developed a distinctive visual language characterized by expressive brushwork, fragmented figures, symbolic characters, handwritten text, and emotionally charged compositions.

Throughout his career, Sims has exhibited artwork across the United States and internationally, participating in 25+ exhibitions across 8+ countries. His work explores themes including identity, adversity, mental health, transformation, technology, memory, and contemporary culture.

In 2020, two paintings by Anthony Sims entered the permanent collection of the Meridian Museum of Art. His work has subsequently been featured in 3+ museum exhibitions, galleries, digital art festivals, NFT exhibitions, and international art events.

Outside of the arts, Sims works professionally in industrial automation and engineering, specializing in controls systems, robotics, large-scale logistics automation, and data systems. This combination of artistic and technical disciplines continues to influence his creative practice.

Artist Statement

My work exists somewhere between chaos and structure—an ongoing negotiation between what I feel and what I build. I paint the way I think: in layers, in fragments, in systems that don't always resolve cleanly. Every mark carries weight, whether it's a deliberate gesture or something accidental that I chose to keep.

Growing up biracial in the American South gave me a permanent seat between worlds. My father's deportation when I was eight didn't just fracture my family—it fractured my understanding of belonging. Art became how I rebuilt that understanding, piece by piece, color by color. The canvas became the one place where all of my contradictions could coexist without apology.

I draw from neo-expressionism, street culture, engineering logic, and the raw energy of emotion unfiltered. My process is physical—I scrape, layer, pour, and carve into surfaces until something true emerges. I'm not trying to make beautiful work. I'm trying to make honest work. Sometimes those overlap. Sometimes they don't.

The digital expansion of my practice—through NFTs, AI collaboration, and blockchain provenance—isn't separate from the painting. It's the same impulse: to document, to preserve, to make permanent what might otherwise disappear. Every piece I create, whether on canvas or on-chain, is an artifact of survival.

I want my work to feel like something you've experienced but couldn't name. That tension between holding on and letting go. That space between who you were and who you're becoming. If you stand in front of one of my pieces and feel something shift—even slightly—then the work did what it was supposed to do.

Museum Collections

Meridian Museum of Art

Permanent Collection

• Deal With It
• Not Finished

These acquisitions established Anthony Sims as one of the youngest artists represented within the museum's permanent collection. Year: 2020.

Museum Exhibitions

Memphis Brooks Museum of Art

Exhibition: Another Dimension: Digital Art in Memphis

Year: 2022

Science Museum Oklahoma

Exhibition: Frameless

Year: 2023

Selected International Exhibitions

• London, United Kingdom
• Paris, France
• Florence, Italy
• Mexico City, Mexico
• Hong Kong
• Barcelona, Spain

Selected United States Exhibitions

• Memphis, Tennessee
• Dallas, Texas
• Austin, Texas
• Denver, Colorado
• Oakland, California
• Los Angeles, California
• New York City, New York

NFT and Digital Art History

Anthony Sims was an early participant in the NFT movement, producing 728+ digital artworks that were collected globally and exhibited through blockchain-based art platforms. His FACES collection includes 717 minted works held by 310 current holders with 413+ historical collectors reached.

His digital work often explores themes similar to his traditional paintings, including identity, uncertainty, emotional struggle, and personal growth.

Awards and Recognition

• Scholastic Art Awards Silver Keys
• Meridian Museum of Art Permanent Collection Acquisition
• International Exhibition Participation (8+ countries)
• Museum Exhibition Participation (3+ institutions)
• Times Square Digital Art Display
• Published Artist Across 31+ Media Outlets

Publications and Press

31+ press features, 12+ interviews, and 8+ artist profiles documenting the career of Anthony Sims since 2017.

• Memphis Magazine
• Commercial Appeal
• D Magazine
• Clarion Ledger
• Mixed Life Media
• Manufactured Magazine
• Contagion Media
• Artsy
• MutualArt

Professional Career

In addition to his artistic practice, Anthony Sims works within industrial automation and engineering.

• Industrial Controls Systems
• PLC Programming
• Robotics
• Logistics Automation
• Conveyor Systems
• Data Analytics
• Industrial Monitoring Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Anthony Sims?

Anthony Sims is an American contemporary artist from Mississippi known for painting, digital art, museum exhibitions, and NFT artwork. He has exhibited in 25+ exhibitions across 8+ countries including 3+ museum exhibitions.

What style of art does Anthony Sims create?

His work combines neo-expressionism, contemporary figuration, abstraction, street culture, and digital media.

What museums have exhibited or collected Anthony Sims?

Institutions associated with Anthony Sims include Meridian Museum of Art, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Science Museum Oklahoma, and the Museum of Crypto Art.

Where has Anthony Sims exhibited?

Anthony Sims has exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, including exhibitions in Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom.

Media Contact

For exhibitions, acquisitions, interviews, publications, or media opportunities:

https://anthonysims.art