STOLEN SERIES
This series is dedicated to the many Black people that were robbed of their lives at the hands of the police. I use time as a medium to define how long each portrait is colored in. 1 year of life = 1 minute of color. Tamir Rice was 12 when he was murdered, so I colored his portrait for 12 minutes.
For each of these portraits I played with the harsh relationship between time and death. I want the viewer to see how much empty space is left in these lives, stories that will never be told, space that can never be filled. This emptiness represents holes in their families and our community, who will be forever stuck with the question, “who were they becoming?” This series touches on grief and the unknown.
11 x 14" - Ink and graphite on paper
My name is Adrian Brandon, I am a Seattle native, Brooklyn based artist who works in painting, drawing and printmaking. I have worked on a handful of projects, from children's books to shoe designs to murals. A thread within my work is the idea of being seen, that it's a negotiation between visibility and vulnerability—in the eyes of others, in moments of love, and through one’s own reflection.
Through my work, I aim to evoke empathy and provide perspective, often by shining light on the subtle moments of our day to day in hopes of creating more connection in a climate that weaponizes differences. My work spans from portraits of victims of police brutality (Stolen Series) to parades of kids on bikes flooding a Brooklyn street demanding the spotlight for a moment's time.
I have worked with Google, ESPN, Twitter/X, American Express, Target, Walmart, Amazon, NPR, Forbes, HP, Lulu & Georgia, NTWRK and more.
Email: contact@adrianbrandon.com