Bold Brushstrokes Overlap in Greg Breda’s Contemplative Portraits
“Arrival at knowing” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 25 x 25 inches. All images courtesy of Patron Gallery, shared with permission
Bold Brushstrokes Overlap in Greg Breda’s Contemplative Portraits
September 18, 2024
Art
Grace Ebert
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In Greg Breda’s meditative paintings, noise and commotion are toxic to transformation. The Los Angeles-based artist ushers in quiet introspection, imagining figures deep in thought among houseplants and blooms.
Layering wide brushstrokes on synthetic silk, Breda renders delicate, fragmented portraits. Among the browns that contour each face are sweeping marks in periwinkle that overlap, intersect, and fade across the figures. Evoking the way light might hit a cheekbone or cast a shadow, the contrasts in color add a dynamic element to the still, serene scenes.
“Finding focus” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 40 x 33 inches
The works shown here are part of Breda’s solo show Where I am found, on view now at Patron Gallery in Chicago. Drawing on his Hei series that references the fifth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, the paintings invoke a spiritual presence and self-reflection, emphasizing how quiet and solitude are essential for personal and collective change.
This body of work also considers interconnection and how all life interacts and influences one another. Flowers like hibiscus and allium encircle the figures, providing both a beautiful setting for contemplation and serving as visual metaphors for unity, grace, and self-love.
See Where I am found through November 2, and explore more of Breda’s portraits on his website and Instagram.
Detail of “Arrival at knowing” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 25 x 25 inches
“Pathways” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 18 x 18 inches
“Repose” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 33 x 40 inches
“As it is” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 40 x 30 inches
Detail of “Repose” (2024), acrylic on canvas, 33 x 40 inches
Detail of “Arrival at knowing” (2024), acrylic on polyester canvas, 25 x 25 inches
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