A studio visit Jeanine Brito
Roses that never die, Persian carpets, and plush armchairs.
The building that houses Jeanine Brito’s studio is not unlike her work. A maze-like warehouse, the building houses artist spaces with sepia-toned windows that imbue the inside with a warm glow. Brito’s work is a mix of saccharine elements bound to turn sinister at any turn. The industrial hardware of her studio is softened with roses that never die, Persian carpets, and plush armchairs. It invites you in—as long as you’re careful that sitting might result in a paint stain.
Using herself as a model, Brito has cast herself in a grand opera. Playful, serious, sexy, dramatic. The paintings are narrative undertakings with historical roots. Brito points out elements in her paintings like they’re symbolic easter eggs: the significance of hair in the Victorian era, the origin of bloodletting, and a nymph with wings. I wouldn’t be surprised if every choice in her paintings had a deeper meaning. Brito’s paintings unravel the circular nature of time, with a contemporary protagonist firmly rooted in the tropes of life that have been repeating for centuries.
Brito has work up at Felix Art Fair in LA with Nicodim Gallery, followed by a solo exhibition upcoming in Spring 2024 at their NYC space.
Further Reading:
Fast-Rising Artist Jeanine Brito’s Visceral Paintings Put a ‘Dark and Grotesque’ Spin on Fairy Tales, artnet
Painting with Jeanine Brito, From the Desk of Marlowe Granados:
Jeanine Brito:
I think I find the sketches more impressive than the paintings. I am prompted to wonder if she is working in the proper medium for her skills and abilities. Painting usually requires an involvement with color. The work shown here is largely monochromatic, red, that is.