"I wanted to explore an honest approach to painting that I feel didn’t need to be so loud and in your face. I became a bit more absorbed in just being alone in my studio and making work for myself."
Moving back to your hometown isn't always easy, but for artist Brian Hunter, it's had some unexpected benefits.
In 2013, Hunter returned to Winnipeg, the city where he grew up. He and his wife wanted to be closer to their family, and while spending time with his grandmother-in-law, he found some unusual inspiration: an antique letterpress box.
Brian Hunter knows there’s no security in art – and he’s OK with that. In fact, that’s precisely what inspires him to create contemporary oil paintings that bring together past and present in a unique way. “That’s something I like about the pursuit of art. It’s not something you can count on and expect. It’s so unsure – but then you find yourself in a very cool opportunity, like the RBC prize,” says the 31-year-old Winnipeg artist and winner of the 18th annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition.
Helping an elderly in-law move into a new home led to a $25,000 national painting prize for Winnipeg artist Brian Hunter.
It takes a community to raise an artist.
Winnipeg artist Brian Hunter has won the 18th annual RBC Canadian Painting Competition, prevailing over 14 other finalists. Hunter, 31, was awarded a cheque for $25,000 Tuesday evening at a ceremony in Toronto at the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery.
New work featured in the fall 2016 Painting issue of Border Crossings magazine. http://bordercrossingsmag.com/article/the-beauty-of-being-boxed-in
