Brandon Deener’s Journey Through Sound and Color
Brandon Deener. Courtesy the artist.
Brandon Deener’s paintings exist in a liminal space, oscillating between past and future, memory and speculation. Rooted in Afrofuturism yet imbued with a sense of nostalgia, his work is a meditation on time—on where we have been, where we are, and where we are going. “My works are in constant conversation with time,” Deener says. “One may question this concept of timelessness, asking when, how, or where these figures existed. However, my concern is that they simply just exist.”
The Memphis-born artist’s trajectory has been anything but linear. Initially drawn to hyperrealism, Deener once approached painting with the meticulous precision of a draftsman. Over time, however, he began to lean into improvisation, shedding the rigidity of photographic reference in favor of intuition. This shift, which he likens to jazz, allowed him to embrace spontaneity in his practice. “Taking away the photo was like removing sheet music from a musician,” he explains. “Without the construct of a reference, I became privy to a more freeform style of working. Anything goes in this mode of making. It’s Free Jazz!”
Music, particularly jazz, is a central influence in Deener’s work. His latest solo exhibition in Paris, titled "Resonance," underscored this connection, with portraits of musicians that vibrate with the same expressive energy as a live performance. The influence of John Coltrane and Miles Davis is evident—not only in the figures he depicts but also in the rhythm and movement within his compositions. “There’s a magic in trusting the unknown enough to journey there,” Deener says. “There’s a magic in having the courage to go with the flow.” The exhibition marked the artist’s Paris debut, and it was presented as a collaboration between the artist, Doriano Navarra, and the legendary Tony Shafrazi.
Resonance à la Galerie 75 Faubourg, Paris, France. Photo : Grégory Copitet. © Brandon Deener.
Color, once secondary in his practice, has become another key player. Early on, Deener focused more on realism than on chromatic choices, but conversations with his former dealer helped him reframe his approach. He began to consider the emotional and symbolic weight of his palette, drawing from fashion and design to create strategic, evocative color combinations. “Then, my palette started feeling better as my usage of color strengthened,” he says. His vibrant canvases—infused with electric pinks, deep blues, and mint greens—radiate an undeniable energy, amplifying the sense of movement and expression within each piece.
A throughline in Deener’s work is the motif of ‘Black Cool’—a concept that extends beyond aesthetics into the realm of cultural and historical documentation. His paintings celebrate the inherent style, grace, and presence of Black figures, situating them within a broader artistic lineage that includes Barkley Hendricks and Amy Sherald. “It’s a method of communicating who we are at our very core as a people,” he explains. “How we express ourselves, walk, talk, are significant facets of who we are, and it needs to be represented.”
As an Afrofuturist, Deener approaches Black identity with both reverence for history and a vision for the future. His figures are not only reflections of the present but also projections of possibility. “I’m curiously creating what I haven’t seen through the vehicle of a childlike wonderment,” he says. “Attempting to fill a void by adding my voice.” In doing so, Deener continues the vital work of truth-telling, capturing the complexities, elegance, and boundless potential of Black life on canvas.
Brandon Deener, Serenade The City, 2024. Oil on Canvas, 60 x 48 inches. Courtesy the artist.
Brandon Deener, Statuesque, 2024. Oil on Canvas, 72 x 60 inches. Courtesy the artist.
Brandon Deener, The Onliest Thelonious, 2024. Marker, Oil, Oil Wash and Pigment Stick on Canvas, 60 x 60 inches. Courtesy the artist.