BRETT ASHBY: THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL ARTIST MAKING WAVES IN THE CONTEMPORARY ART SCENE!

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN VORAKA

Article Published on: 19 May 2023 | www.vorakamag.com

Brett Ashby is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, presenter, and author from Naarm, Australia. Ashby’s art practice includes sculpture, performance installation, painting, music, and major public commissions, framing Ashby as a prodigious figure in the contemporary art world.

Ashby is recognizable for his unique methods of practice employing a skateboard or surfboard as a tool to paint aura. His work is linked through a poetic and intuitive sensitivity to the expressive potential of space, light, color, context, and materials.

Ashby is the Director of the short film ‘The One I Love’, which received Best Short Film awards in 2023 from countries such as Italy, Switzerland, Serbia, and Russia and was awarded Best Inspirational Film at the 8 & Halfilm Awards.

Capturing the vibrations and energy within the time and space he is creating in, the colors in his art align with positive psychology, art therapy, and faith and offer healing properties. Currently painting his portrait series titled: ‘Inner Essence’ working with some of the World’s top list subjects from USA, Europe, and across Australasia collectors are keeping an eye on Ashby’s latest NFTs.

His work is in various collections worldwide, including Berlin, Texas, Cape Town, Edinburgh, Geneva, Sri Lanka, London, Paris, New York, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Tennessee, and many parts of Australasia.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ARTIST BRETT ASHBY

Please tell us about your background and how you became interested in art.

I have been involved in art since the very young age of 4 years old, drawing, painting, and building wood things. It wasn't until after University that I took on the romance of making art my profession. At that time I was also working in Television as a producer/ cameraman for commercials and travel content, I feel this was very grounding and seeded my journey which allowed me to exhibit Worldwide from 2009 to the present.

How would you describe your artistic style and creative process?

My style began as a photographic collage in 2006 as I photographed places and spaces animating my external horizon into icons and faces of 'Hope' with Barack Obama, in 2009. Now working on my 'Inner Essence' series of representations of abstract action paintings performed while riding a skateboard. I have learned that the paintings are about love, being alive, and capturing the resonating natural vibrations into forms that exist, present, and evolve consciousness. The creative process depicts aspects of faith, spirituality, science, and positive psychology. My performance art is a ritual, as a shaman beats his drum, I roll back and forth like a pendulum, the constant sounds build a sound bath, the meditation, holding space for the layers of paint to fall.

To continue reading the full interview, click here to download the May 2023 issue.