Tommy Hollenstein

Ability Consultant

Tommy Hollenstein is a Los Angeles artist who paints with the tires of his wheelchair. A mountain bike accident in 1985 left him quadriplegic, and when a mouth stick felt “too restraining,” he found his own way in: rolling through paint alongside his service dog, Weaver, leaving tire tracks and paw prints on the canvas.

He works slowly and deliberately, sometimes laying down as many as 50 coats of paint, spinning and sliding his tires until a piece feels finished. His work has been shown and sold in galleries around the world, and he names each painting with a single word, such as “Expect,” “Soar,” or “Beyond.”

As Ability Consultant for Bombshell Discovery, Tommy helps design environments that are accessible to anybody, of any condition, in any wheelchair or mobility device. He brings the everyday view from the seat of a chair, from doorways and surfaces to reach, turning room, and the small details that decide whether a space truly welcomes everyone.

See his work at tommyhollenstein.com · Contact card: wheels.dottodot.lol