Inward by Brandon Deener

Jac Forbes Gallery is pleased to present Brandon Deener: Inward, a suite of new large-scale paintings that picture the dynamic relationship between spirituality, jazz, water, and Black being. Across the lusciously formal, visually arresting portraits and still lifes in the exhibition, reflection emerges as a character and a method of making. As the title of the exhibition suggests, introspection and intuition are central to this new body of work and to Deener’s practice as a whole. To produce the paintings on view, the artist turned inward at a time when crisis and chaos of all types—economic, environmental, our collective wellbeing—proliferate. But rather than depressive isolation, Inward celebrates stillness and being alone together. Inward also underscores Black subjects’ indigenous knowledge of water and its power as a force for change and healing. Made with various combinations of spray paint, pigment stick, and oil paint, each work is a window into Deener’s internal
dialogue and his cultural influences. What results is a vibrant wellspring for inner and outer world making.