As the world shut down early last year, Brandon Breaux began questioning the intention of his artistic practice. Art began to feel like a luxury to him, and he didn’t feel particularly compelled to make new work.
In addition to being available on Breaux and Rebuild’s respective Instagram accounts, physical portraits will be posted outside the foundation’s Stony Island Arts Bank towards the end of February, so that the campaign will be accessible to Greater Grand Crossing residents.
Using Procreate on his Apple iPad, Breaux explains that he essentially uses the same process to create the portraits as he would with an actual oil painting. He prefers to begin with a black base and build from there, sketching the composition, blending textures and colors, and refining his color palette. For the project, he made a conscious decision to experiment with pastels, something that he says “speaks to where I am going with my artistic language and my voice.”
Mental health has also always been a crucial component of Breaux’s work, something that’s reflected in his meditation series and his concept store Invisible Space, which, according to its website, aims to “encourage a more informed, connected, and healthy environment” in disinvested communities. While the multidisciplinary artist has been using his work to confront mental health issues for years, with 28 Days of Greatness, it remains more nuanced.
