About
I’m Phillip Brubacher (b. 1996), a modern artist from a farm town in central Illinois, and now based in Austin, Texas. After graduating with a degree in Finance from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I moved to Chicago, where I lived for 4 years.
My painting journey began unexpectedly and without formal training when I relocated to Austin back in 2023. What started as a spontaneous experiment and personal outlet to opine on the changes and mental health struggles I was facing quickly became a meaningful creative practice. My art is fueled by my love of storytelling, curiosity for different mediums and color interactions, and the compulsion to create for self expression and exploration.
My artwork lives at the intersection of figurative and abstract, exploring intricate color combinations, textures, dynamic movements, and mixtures of mediums (acrylic, oil pastel, colored pencils). I tend to start with an intended mood, visual story, or inspired feeling before delving into color experimentation, patterns, and mediums that will live on the canvas. Expectations or precise predictions on what the finished piece will look like often lessen the opportunity for the true creative expression that inspires the culmination of my work. My process is truly that: a process. Ultimately, my goal as an artist is to leave the viewer with a clear vision of the stories being told.
For me, inspiration comes in many forms and feelings. From personal mental health struggles, to queer experiences, to relationships both platonic and intimate, my artwork explores themes that have had a profound impact on my life. My paintings have allowed me to process and explore my own inner-workings and external observations, and I genuinely enjoy getting to tell those stories on the canvas. Although the themes, intentions, or stories behind my paintings may vary, each piece is intended to have a distinct emotion associated with it, while being simultaneously vibrant and intriguing.
As they say, art imitates life. My goal is for people to feel authentically connected to my work when viewing it. Whether it’s through similarities, relatability, or finally feeling seen and understood, I believe sharing all of the things – good, bad, and ugly – that have impacted my life will help inspire deeper connections and shared community for those who may be feeling alone on the path they’re walking. While my artistry is in its younger years, untamed and still growing, I’ve found immense joy in creating things that give people a peek behind the curtain of my mind and hope their discoveries unlock new understandings, broader perspectives, and feelings of acceptance.