Russell Hamilton holds an MFA in sculpture from the University of Washington, Seattle, and a B.A. in Comparative Politics from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus.

He has worked as a community artist in Minneapolis, East Harlem NYC, Detroit with at risk youth; working on collaborative murals, public art safe parks, and sculpture gardens.

He has exhibited his work throughout the US, and recently in Obama Japan.  He attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and was a 12 month Artist-in-Resident at the Studio Museum In Harlem.

He is currently an Associate Professor in the College of Arts and Creative Enterprises at Zayed University Abu Dhabi Campus, and founder and co-partner of Zawiyah; an artist collective offering studio spaces and a professional gallery exhibition space in the Mina Area of Abu Dhabi City.