Meet Bryant Vazquez of Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bryant Vazquez.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
A condensed version from my artist C.V.:

“Bryant Eugene Vazquez was born in East Los Angeles, California. He grew up living between California
and Arizona, settling in Yuma with his family. His first love is drawing— a practice he began in early
childhood. The very foundation of his work comes from his singular drawing style.

A near-fatal car accident in 2012 changed the direction of his life. He bought a one-way ticket to the East
Coast, intending to move to NYC, but stayed in Philadelphia.

Philadelphia would be his home from late 2013 to early 2019.
Life in Philadelphia forged the formative years of his music and visual art.

Vazquez lives with an urgency
to create— this continues to be the lifeblood of his work.

His paintings serve as a visual journal that develops in real-time.
They revolve around timeless matters
of life, love, and death.”

Writing about oneself is exhausting; hence, I find painting a more effective method. I have a degree in English and I have a lot of written material. I’ve also self-produced and recorded several albums of original music, but my main focus has become visual art.

I’ve been living in Phoenix since 2021. I used to live in Flagstaff, often playing in the Valley both as a solo musician and with other projects. Since moving back to Arizona from Philly, I’ve been working hard to create a powerful collection of paintings. I’ve had solo shows and group shows in the Phoenix area, as well as some work shown in Los Angeles.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It’s never been smooth. I don’t know that feeling. Things going “smoothly ” doesn’t make sense to me. I don’t know that having a particularly easy route toward a goal or mission is something worth doing, but I’m sure it exists. The world is littered with people who’ve had things handed to them. I could go on, but it’s futile.

Struggles along the way? Financial. Mental. Physical. Life happening. Getting arrested, going sober, drinking and smoking again, and dealing with whatever is happening in our country. There’s always something. I’ve worked two jobs to keep my head above water. The fact that that’s become the norm. There’s no security unless you come from money. I don’t like those people.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I mainly paint. But I do sculpture as well. Anything in the realm of visual work. Specialties include oil-based, water-based, mixed media, unconventional, and traditional methods of application and creation.

I don’t know that I’m known for anything. My work ethic? Many kind people took an interest enough in my work back then, and there are articles littered around the internet. Mostly dealing with my music.

I have a series of paintings that deal with what people call “square heads.” I call them my “Quadrimorphs.” I change styles and motifs a lot, but that series got some attention.

I’m proud of my work ethic. My integrity. My honesty. And I’m proud to say I continue to pursue my vision this far down the line.

It’s hard to do anything sometimes. It all seems incredibly pointless. But I find meaning in my work, which gives my life purpose. I plan to follow that purpose to the end.

What’s next?
Freedom. Ultimate freedom. Freedom to paint full-time. Freedom from working corporate jobs, days jobs, 9-5 jobs. All that shit. That’s the ultimate goal. Future goals closer to the present: more group shows and more shows outside of Arizona. I’d love to have a solo show in LA sooner than later. I’m hoping the work I’m doing now will bring that possibility to life. My girlfriend and I are trying to buy a house. Seems impossible, especially with all that’s happening now. But it’ll happen. I have this grand idea for a business that involves painting and music, but I won’t share that publicly until the bones of it are ready.

I used to have a studio. Less than a year. It got too expensive, so I’m back to working from home, which is how I’ve painted for most of my career. I paint outside on my side patio. I’m at the mercy of the weather. I try to paint inside, but the lighting is never very good, even with light fixtures. So, having a studio in the future would be nice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bryant-vazquez.bandcamp.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brygenevaz
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bryant-vazquez

Image Credits
All the pictures are by me.