"I AM" Opening Reception
Join me for my first solo exhibition in a long time. Presenting a series of larger works titled "I Am."
Prints, Art, live music, and light hors d'oeuvres.
I Am.
Arthur Braud is a Vietnamese American artist born and raised in the Kalamazoo, MI. From a very early age, Braud was deemed a young perfectionist by those that surrounded him. He had a strong desire to be perfect at everything but continually lacked self confidence and self value. His happiness was enshrouded by his own personal dissatisfaction at the mere age of 4.
Heavily influenced by portraiture artists such as Lucian Freud & Giacometti, Braud started to find self value at age 16. This is when he picked up his first drawing tool. After mastering observational drawing techniques in graphite & charcoal, Braud began to use his feeling of self dissatisfaction for self reflective work. He produced many works in graphite, charcoal and oil, before becoming enamored by the delicate translucency of watercolor in 2013. Though many are often surprised by the solemness in his creations, Braud uses his past struggles with his own acceptance as inspiration for his work.
For the entirety of his career, Braud has consistently used his mediums to portray the aspects of himself that remain unexpressed. Longing to connect with others who share similar feelings of self neglect, Braud represents his social beings as psychological existences. He eliminates social identity by removing attributes that typically identify one’s culture: hair, clothes, gender, jewelry, etc. Braud’s new line of work titled "I Am." is a reflection of self-identity. Using "feminine" motifs, Braud aims to embrace the beauty of femininity while exploring its societal negative connotations and the role it has played on his natural spirit.
Braud has participated in over 20 gallery showings, including the Grand Rapids Art Prize, and has sold to several institutions across the globe. Braud currently resides in Portland, OR where he teaches watercolor, exhibits at the Alberta Street Gallery, and participates in local fairs/events.
