Russell Hamilton is originally from New Haven, Connecticut, but was raised in Minneapolis Minnesota.  He has worked as an artist and arts educator in the US and the UAE.  Being raised in an academic family he was encouraged to focus his studies at university in anything but art; “you may always go into art, but get a degree in a field that may create options for you…” his father told him.  He received a BA in Political Science (Southern African Politics) from the University of Minnesota Minneapolis Campus, and then went on to follow his real passion by receiving an MFA in sculpture from the University of Washington Seattle.  He also attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture class of 1990, an artist-in-resident at the Pratt Institute Seattle for glass blowing, and then a 12-month artist-in-resident at the Studio Museum In Harlem 1992-93.  Where he became close to Houston Conwill and other NYC based artists.  He has exhibited widely throughout the US in Seattle, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Detroit, NYC, Skowhegan, and Washington DC, as well as, the UAE and Japan.  His work is in both public and private collections. 

He has initiated a variety of community projects with young people, worked in the US educational system as an artist-in-resident providing project based courses, and is now working on a collaborative project that brings together art and technology to address patient healing and wellbeing within a hospital environment.  He continues with his individual studio work, and is further interested in art collaborations that extend beyond the walls of the traditional gallery.

Russell was an Assistant Professor of Art at Wayne State University, and is currently an Associate Professor of Art at Zayed University.