Gregory Richard Tomaini U.S. Senate

04/11/2026

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Greenwich Village, New York City —

Today marks a turning point in my creative and intellectual life.

After fifteen months away from the studio, I returned to the canvas to create a new work titled “The Sphinx of NYU” — a portrait born from gratitude, lineage, and the long arc of mentorship. I am donating this piece to the New York University Department of Comparative Literature and the NYU Deutsches Haus in honor of University Distinguished Professor Avital Ronell, one of the most influential voices in contemporary thought and a guardian of the deconstructive tradition.

This painting carries the weight of the worlds that shaped me: the classrooms where I learned to think, the humanitarian work that taught me responsibility, the long nights reading and writing, and the mentors who pushed me to live with greater ethical clarity. I have been fortunate to study with and be shaped by thinkers whose names transformed the landscape of philosophy and critical theory — Cornel West, Slavoj Žižek, Gayatri Spivak, Drucilla Cornell, Gary Dorrien, Derek Parfit, Ted Sider. Their voices echo in every stroke of this work.

As an African Jew in the lineage of Derrida, I have always felt the electric pull between identity, language, and responsibility. “The Sphinx of NYU” is part of that ongoing conversation — a small offering to the tradition that raised me, challenged me, and demanded that I meet thought with courage.

My books — The Psalms of Babylon, Encyclopedia of American Idealism, Tractatus Perfectio-Philosophicus — orbit the same question: how do we live ethically inside the structures that shape us. The Encyclopedia of American Idealism, now available at the Harvard University Book Store, is the first philosophical system written in the nation-state of the United States of America. This artwork is another attempt at answering that question with color instead of prose.

The visual language of the painting carries a quiet thank-you to Basquiat and Emily Dickinson — two spirits who remind me that the most radical gestures are often the most intimate, and that art can be both a wound and a salve.

If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear: who is the mentor, teacher, or thinker who changed the way you see the world. Tag them. Honor them. Let’s fill this space with gratitude for the minds that made us braver.

— Colonel G.R. Tomaini

Professor Extraordinaire • Polymath • Author • Artist
Governor-Commissioned Kentucky Colonel • Congressional-Commended Cultural Strategist
American Bar Association Grassroots Ambassador • Humanitarian Liaison
Global Chair for Rohingya Rights, Sovereignty, Transparent Accountability, and Systematic Theology
Genocide Victims Advocate • International Humanitarian Advisor • Scholar of Ethical Responsibility

Gregory Richard Tomaini U.S. Senate
Gregory Richard Tomaini
New York University
French Embassy in the U.S.
German Embassy Washington
The Paris Review
The New York Times
Jacobin magazine
MoMA The Museum of Modern Art
chashama

04/11/2026

Gregory Richard Tomaini U.S. Senate

04/11/2026

Every once in a while, you take a photograph that feels less like an image and more like a checkpoint in your own story. This one does.

It carries the weight of the last decade — the classrooms, the humanitarian work, the honors I never expected, the mentors who shaped me, and the responsibility that comes with being entrusted with so much.

I’ve been called a lot of things over the years — Kentucky Colonel, Congressional‑commended cultural strategist, ABA Grassroots Ambassador, international liaison, nominee for British and French knighthoods, professor extraordinaire, artist, logician, polymath — but at the core, I’m just someone who believes deeply in service, dignity, and the transformative power of ideas.

I’ve been shaped by thinkers who changed the world: Cornel West, Slavoj Žižek, Gayatri Spivak, Drucilla Cornell, Gary Dorrien, Derek Parfit. Their voices echo in everything I do — in the art I make, the students I teach, the communities I serve, and the work I try to carry forward with integrity.

This portrait isn’t about titles.
It’s about commitment.
It’s about showing up — for people, for principles, for the work that matters.

If this resonates with you, do one thing for me today:

Tag someone who shaped the way you think.
Honor the people who made you braver.
Let’s fill this feed with gratitude and the names that built us.

Here’s to the next chapter — with clarity, humility, and purpose.

Rohingya Rights Initiative RRI
Voice of Rohingya - VOR
Rohingya National School - RNS
Arakan Rohingya Youth Forum
Rohingya Community Human Rights Network
Democrats
U.S. Senate Democrats
Occupy Democrats
Hillary Clinton
President Bill Clinton
Clinton Foundation

03/01/2026

Colonel Gregory Richard Tomaini

Alias: Richard Edward von Hartung III

02/22/2026

Hillary Clinton was just in Munich! Represented out country very sagaciously!

Germany's Foreign Minister Wadephul visited Stuttgart, home to major U.S. military operations including U.S. European Command (EUCOM). 🇩🇪🇺🇸

U.S. military presence in Germany play a major role in our shared transatlantic security, and with Germany assuming greater responsibility within the NATO alliance, visits like these showcase the strength of our collaboration and cooperation. 🤝🛡

02/19/2026

Gregory Richard Tomaini is a proud member of the American Bar Association!

😇