Artistic. Evoking. Charming.

Toby Bergman is a Lakewood-based artist whose art style is defined by its deep emotional resonance, narrative focus, and expressive use of light, gesture, and tone. Working primarily in oils, Bergman utilizes the medium’s unique properties to soften, layer, and blur textures, allowing her to capture nuanced values, subtle lighting, and poignant expressions within her human subjects. Her portfolio spans starkly contrasting approaches: from monochrome black-and-white portraiture—such as her series inspired by Roman Vishniac’s pre-Holocaust photography—to rich, vibrant figurative works exploring spiritual themes like the roles of the Kohanim and Leviim. Uniting these stylistic shifts is a commitment to collective memory, history, and human connection, crafting contemplative imagery that invites viewers to look closely and uncover the powerful stories etched into each face.