Brandon Breaux is a multi-disciplinary artist from Chicago whose work includes oil-on-canvas and digital art.
Early life and education
Breaux grew up in the Chatham and Grand Crossing neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago. Breaux graduated from DePaul University in 2006.
Career
Breaux's work focuses on representation of his culture on the South Side of Chicago and his advocacy for mental health, especially in the Black community.
Breaux created the cover art to the 2012 Chance the Rapper debut mixtape 10 DAY. Breaux also created the cover art for the Acid Rap and Coloring Book mixtapes, and Chance's 2018 singles "Wala Cam", "65th and Ingleside" and "Work Out".
Breaux shot the original photo and created the cover art for Acid Rap. The picture happened by chance, according to Breaux: "I had made these tie-dye tank tops before we went to SXSW and I gave them to Chance… In the back of my mind I'm like I hope you wear this."
The cover artwork Breaux created for Coloring Book depicted Chance holding his baby daughter, capturing his facial expression but with the baby outside the frame of the image.
Following the publication of the cover art for Chance the Rapper, artists including Drake, Kehlani, Miguel, and Troye Sivan have released album cover art showing Breaux's influence.
His debut U.S. solo exhibition, BIG WORDS, included painting, print, and fashion design, and was curated by Anna Cerniglia and Alison Cuddy for Blanc Gallery. In a review for Dazed, Vanessa Murrell noted the exhibition's use of typography and figures to stimulate the viewer's right and left brain functions.
Ebony magazine published Breaux's commissioned portrait of fashion icon André Leon Talley on its cover.
Civil Rights Movement pioneer Congressman John Lewis commissioned a portrait by Breaux for the cover of his final published work, Carry On: Reflections for a New Generation.
In 2020, Breaux collaborated with the Museum of Contemporary Art on a capsule collection.
In 2022, Breaux was selected in a cohort of 14 master artists and designers to be part of Dorchester Industries Experimental Design Lab, a partnership of the Prada Group, Theaster Gates Studio, Dorchester Industries, and Rebuild Foundation.
In 2022 the Kennedy Center selected Breaux for its "Office Hours" curated developmental artist residency program.
In August 2024, the Chicago Transit Authority wrapped Breaux‘s SEEN on trains as part of a public art exhibition titled “Track(ed) Changes” coinciding with the 2024 Democratic National Convention.
In 2024 Breaux continued long-term collaboration with Emerald South EDC on a public art mural installation of his SEEN oil-on-canvas painting. The mural, in the Washington Park neighborhood, has augmented reality functionality.
Awards and honors
In 2022 Ebony magazine named Breaux in its POWER 100 list of Black leaders.
See also
References
- Chicago artist Brandon Breaux’s ‘28 Days’ is for Black History Month, portraits of those making history now Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, February 08, 2021
- Brandon Breaux South Side Art Center, June 11, 2022
- Work Of Artist Behind Chance's Mixtape Covers To Be Featured On Beer Cans Archived 2019-01-03 at the Wayback Machine DNA Info, Stephanie Lulay, June 15, 2017
- ^ Talking Visual Branding & Consistency with Brandon Breaux, the Artist/Designer Behind Chance the Rapper's Album Art Charlie Kane, The Hundreds, May 8, 2017
- Brandon Breaux University of Chicago
- On staying positive and inspired: Visual artist Brandon Breaux discusses leaving an agency job to pursue his art full-time, collaborating with Chance the Rapper, and the questions you should ask yourself when you start something new. Creative Independent, August 9, 2018
- "VIRTUAL STUDIO VISIT: BRANDON BREAUX". Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Chicago Architecture Biennial. September 1, 2020. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
- Glover, Wes (September 9, 2023). ""From the Ground Up" with Artist Brandon Breaux". Monster Children.
- Artists offer helping hand for emotional, mental healing in advance of World Mental Health Day Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, October 5, 2022
- Acovino, Vincent (27 July 2018). "The Artist Responsible For Chance The Rapper's Meme-Inspired Abstract Art". NPR. Retrieved 2020-11-18.
- "The Artist Responsible For Chance The Rapper's Meme-Inspired Abstract Art". NPR.org. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
- "Here's the Original Photo That Inspired Chance the Rapper's 'Acid Rap' Cover". Genius. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
- Breaux, Brandon (May 5, 2016). "Meet Brandon Breaux, The Artist Who Brings Chance The Rapper's Mixtape Covers To Life". The Fader (Interview). Interviewed by Jordan Darville. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved June 3, 2016.
- Chance the Rapper on 5 Visual Artists Who Inspire Him Artsy, Brian P. Kelly, December 19, 2022
- Kerry Cardoza, Constructing Identity: A Review of Brandon Breaux at Blanc Gallery New City, APRIL 25, 2022
- ^ The big world of Brandon Breaux Isa Giallorenzo, Chicago Reader, April 28, 2022
- Brandon Breaux: BIG WORDS: ARTIST TALK + RECEPTION The Visualist, May 7, 2022
- Dazed (2022-04-28). "Inside Chicago's booming art scene". Dazed. Retrieved 2023-01-09.
- A conversation with Brandon Breaux about his MCA collection that looks at access, safe space, and representation Darcel Rockett, Chicago Tribune, September 14, 2020
- Prada and Theaster Gates Partner to Celebrate and Mentor Designers of Color JEREMY LEWIS, Vogue, April 7, 2022
- "Brandon Breaux". Kennedy Center. 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
- "New Public Art Rides the Rails in Chicago, Timed to the Convention". New York Times. August 12, 2024.
- "Augmented Reality Mural Unveiling and Community Day". Chicago Exhibition Weekend 2024. EXPO CHICAGO.
- INTRODUCING EBONY'S 2022 POWER 100 LIST AND GALA Ebony, September 20, 2022
- EBONY'S 2022 POWER 100: Artists Ebony, September 20, 2022
External links
