The TBI Legacy Collection of Paintings.

Navigating Life, Love & Healing through Art after Traumatic Brain Injury & Stroke~

 George, being a native New Yorker, lived an exciting, rewarding life in Manhattan as a University professor, author, musician, composer & recording artist, playwright, martial artist, lecturer, and was much loved & respected by his colleagues, students & friends.

In 1977, at the age of 33, George suffered an unprecedented aneurysmal rupture resulting in massive cerebral bleeding which left him in a perilous four month coma. This traumatic brain injury was followed by many subsequent years without the ability to speak, stand, walk or write.  When he awoke from his coma, he was paralyzed and terrified. Our family, friends and colleagues were devastated by this tragic accident. Slowly regaining his facilities and cognition, his love of life, people and the human condition only intensified. Desperate for understanding, expression and connection, George experimented with drawing and eventually painting his internal world which was catapulted into a vortex of an unfamiliar ‘new normal’. This newfound passion of painting anchored him, rehabilitated and healed his spirit, and we rejoiced!!

As George began to reclaim the shattered fragments of his life, he became a strong proponent of all creative therapies. He was dedicated to advocating for others to believe in their innate healing power and strongly encouraged their own freedom of expression through the Arts and personal interests.

He was genuinely engaging and intrigued by the lives and stories of everyone he met & befriended.  As a disabled artist and author, he held several awards from the Beaux Arts Society, 3 Da Vinci awards, and the Humanitarian Award from the NYC Philanthropic League. George continually shared his deep desire for others to not see their disabilities as obstacles but rather as opportunities to express their personal truths from a place of self-discovery and love.

A complete online gallery of George’s paintings will be available in the Spring of 2025. Each exhibit I have curated so far has been quite well received and with great anticipation of the next!