Branden Black
My name is Branden Black; I’m a 23-year-old multi-media creator based out of Southern LA County.
I grew up the youngest of three by a single mother. I spent my youth in a spiritual household, with my family practicing Lucumi. I garnered much of my influence from being around LA doing work with and observing Santero’s in my youth. It was in these times I would often be exploring music while studying graffiti. To this day, graffiti plays a huge role in my art. Music, on the other hand, be it lyrics, music videos, and album artwork, has been one of the greatest influences in my life, including the likes of Freddie Gibbs, Schoolboy Q, Mac Miller, Da$H, and Isaiah Rashad.
When I began drawing, music and graffiti dictated my style. I drew mostly what I saw tagged throughout LA or recreated album covers, lacking an individual style while also attempting perfection in an area I had no expertise in. It limited my scope to what I felt for the art I loved. Then I took up a mantra in high school of accepting failure. Through this, I solely worked with pen, accepting every mistake that would come of the piece and make it work regardless. Thus, I began to work on the abstract elements of my work. In the abstract, I found a home; I am freer to convey emotion and depict scenes without figures. I became familiar with how to abide by and break rules within art.
The silver lining allowed me to evolve my work into more realistic figure studies and combining the freeing elements of abstract art. I do this most often now with digital art (Photoshop), but I’m my most free when I’m creating physical work. My physical art is made predominantly through alcohol ink, artist-grade pens, and occasionally graphite/charcoal works. I believe through my physical art lies my true style, that I am now trying to convey digitally. I have a lot planned for the coming months and years. And I truly hope to share all of what I have to offer with you all.
You can find Branden on Instagram, Twitter, and their website.