OPENING RECEPTION ON THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 6 - 9 PM
McLennon Pen Co. Gallery is excited to announce JC Bright as our 2024 Artist-In-Residence. Bright will be residing and creating work this summer for the month of August in Austin, Texas. The residency will culminate in an exhibition featuring his latest paintings on canvas.
Using primary colors as the foundation of his vibrant abstract paintings, Bright
explores themes largely stemming from his upbringing in Nigeria such as familial relationships, lived experiences and Igbo values. With a strong art history and painting background, the artist recalls his admiration of neo-plasticism and abstract expressionism. These historical influences are used as a jumping-off point for his spontaneous and unconscious creative method of repetitive and irregular grids.
“For me, it is all about the colors. The color is the form, it is the emotion, it is the
guideline. It is about the subjective deduction upon encountering these primary
shades and tones. It is about saying that I am painting with no structure, no
configuration and that should be enough” says Bright.
Bright’s imagery is conceived as an emotional diary that invites viewers on an intimate journey. Past series of works include a series of large colorscapes that paid tribute to his relationship with his mother, honoring her service and sacrifice that helped shape him.
Through Bright’s exploration of chromaticism, he deliberates on the pressures placed on African artists to be vocal promoters of their culture on the world stage. Bright seeks with his practice to share his disheartenment with any restrictions placed on equal expression and actively delves into challenging the global perception of what African art should be.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
JC Bright (b. 1994, Jos, Nigeria) earned a Bachelor in Fine Arts and Design from the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria. He is currently based in Kent, Ohio, after obtaining a Masters in African Art History from Kent State University in May 2024. Bright's work has been exhibited internationally, including participating in several art fairs, including group and solo presentations with The Bridge Gallery at the 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair in Marrakech and New York in 2024 and showcasing at the I-Design Affordable Art Fair at Whitespace in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2019. Bright has had solo exhibitions, such as "In Honor of Nwanyi Mbaise" at ADA Contemporary Art Gallery in Accra, Ghana, in 2023, "A Garden of Musings" at JCAA in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2022, and "Afro Contemporary Jargar Jargar" at Marley and Blue Cafe in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 2019. His works have also been included in a number of group exhibitions, including "Trace" with Chilli Art Projects in London, England, in 2023, "Under Pressure" at Crib Lifestyle Hotel in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, in 2022, and "A Gathering" at Ikollo Gallery in Lagos, Nigeria, in 2021. Additionally, in 2021, he was a longlist nominee for the Access Bank ART X Prize. Bright’s work has been acquired for private collections across Nigeria, Belgium, France, and the United States.