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Perhaps it was because she was born on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey, an important waterway for cross-cultural trade and the birth of great civilizations, that Arica Hilton brings a passion for our earth and its inhabitants to her life as an artist and global advocate.

Whether hiking the Himalayas to experience the country’s culture, or cage diving with great white sharks off Guadalupe Island, or participating in scientific expeditions to document threats to the health of our oceans, Hilton is driven to pursue first-hand encounters with people and their living environments.

The seeds for Hilton’s dauntless pursuits were sown early. At six-years-old she moved to the United States, not knowing a word of English.  Her sense of displacement had a lasting impact, prompting a search to uncover where she belonged in the world.   Hilton determined early on that her most illuminating pathway would be the road less taken – a pursuit that continues today.

Near and far, Hilton seeks the unique and uncommon. Her adventures have included 22 visits to Asia. She has swum, run and biked her way through triathlons. She has participated in global initiatives for just governance and human security. And she inspires awareness and searches for solutions to improve living conditions for humanity and our earth as a whole. Hilton’s art and global advocacy are informed by the different schools of thought and cultures that she continually encounters.

Hilton’s own creative pursuits began with writing poetry and expanded to painting when she began to illustrate her poems.  Her artistic evolution sparked an interest in the realm of creation as she discovered mathematics, physics, quantum mechanics and string theory.  Her studies solidified her passion for environmentalism when she learned that stars are nothing more than another extension of humanity – that the elements in the bloodstream are the same elements that comprise a star.  The interconnection was what Hilton had been searching for her whole life. As Hilton says “We are the same as a star. How beautiful is that?”

Today, Hilton is a visual artist, poet and global advocate who travels worldwide to enrich her life and the lives of others. She is based in Chicago, where she is the director and curator of Hilton | Asmus Contemporary, a gallery platform that she leverages by representing artists who seek change for a better world. She is also the lead artist-in-residence for Immersive Van Gogh Chicago, 2021.

Today, Hilton is a visual artist, poet and global advocate who travels worldwide to enrich her life and the lives of others. She is based in Chicago, where she is the director of Hilton Asmus Contemporary, a gallery platform that she leverages to support artists and environmentalists who seek change for a better world.

The Artist

In recent years, Hilton has had numerous exhibitions in Europe, the Middle East and the United States.

The Global Advocate

Hilton’s life mission is to use her creativity to bring awareness to threats that endanger the delicate balance of all living things.

The Gallery

Art that integrates three-dimensional materials and poetry to render them relative to the present while capturing a timeless quality.