Egungun

September 10 - October 16, 2021

Monaco is pleased to present Dikhotomia, an exhibition of works by Brandon Chavis in Monaco’s Project Gallery.  The exhibition opens with a reception, 6 – 9 pm, on Friday, September 10, 2021 and will run through October 16, 2021.

“Northside St. Louis city was where I was born, raised, and developed my artistic gifts. I have always seen beauty in the available materials in my neighborhood. Without the luxury of basic art supplies I gathered these materials, hearing my Grandma's voice echo, “One man's trash is another man's treasure.” I accumulated this ‘trash’ to manipulate it into monster-like figures. Cigarette boxes, hair barrettes, telephone wires, etc. I based the figures around the personalities of what I thought the discarder would look like. I understood then that each piece of waste was used for someone's satisfaction, demise, or vanity, and that their intention for each piece of material was as important as the material itself. Now, I find myself revisiting those childhood ideals to explore the connection between who we are and what we throw away.”
- Brandon Chavis

“My current work tells stories of marginalized subcultures within the Black community (i.e. queerness, body positivity, mental disparities). Through my creative process, I connect with each subject via interview and use that information to intuitively reinterpret and recreate a figure that represents their essence as an avatar on a 2D surface. Textiles, paint, and found objects are the active elements in each figuration creating a cross between soft sculpture and painting in what I have termed energy collages. These materials come from all walks of life, and are now together; repurposed, intended to trigger a personal memory within the viewer, while also celebrating the marginalized figure. This is my effort in re/connecting people through sustainability, breathing life back into another man's trash, and creating a platform for discussion on some of the unseen issues within the black diaspora.”
-Brandon Chavis

BIO
Born October 14, 1989 Brandon Chavis is a multi disciplinary artist and teacher who’s work merges medium specific concepts including workshops and found object compositions. He received his Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Teaching from Harris Stowe University. Born in the north side of St. Louis, Mo his works uses his experiences and their visual elements to inform his practice.