Artist of the day: Artist of the Day, July 25, 2025 : B.D. Graft, a German emerging artist (#2340)

Friday, July 25, 2025

Artist of the Day, July 25, 2025 : B.D. Graft, a German emerging artist (#2340)

Brian de Graft (1988) is a German artist based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Personal interest and preference towards the work that has instant appeal, that urges one to walk up and engage with it in some manner, prompted Brian de Graft aka B.D. Graft to develop his practice around simple, easily recognizable, and universally relatable imagery. Initially developing from an ambition to express emotions and reflections on personal life experiences, the early concern about the natural world and the environment transmuted into a celebration of life in every form. Simultaneously, the recent experience of becoming a father presented the idea of building a family home and looking out at the world from such a perspective.

Inspired by the Stoic philosophy and the aspiration to control things that are within our power and be indifferent to ones that are not, B.D. Graft is purposely challenging himself to let go of that control and allow for things to take their course. In order to do so, he is fighting the temptation to work in a way that is recognized or appreciated. Instead, he chooses for the work to remain playful, approachable, stripped of any intention to impress, and inspiring for others to try it out, but always stimulating for himself. In his practice, this conducts the looser depiction of desired imagery, more focused utilization of the materiality of paint, as well as interest in capturing the essence of the set scene, beyond its physical qualities.

The relentless evolution and constant modification or reinvention were marked by moments that shifted the direction of things moving forward. Symbolizing the community, the fragility of the natural world, procreation, a sense of liveliness, and dedication, the bees entered B.D. Graft’s visual language early on, following flowers, plant pots, fruit bowls, and still lives, as well as the frequent use of yellow. Eye-catching but not as suggestive as other colors, yellow presented itself as a very pleasing yet natural feeling tint to revolve his ideas around. The period of lockdowns and intense isolation, imposed cramming some of these elements inside the imaginary cozy interiors, capturing the confined feeling of the world and using familiarity to explore the imagery and his technique.

Determined to fight the urge to be innovative or original in the technical sphere, B.D. Graft is using basic materials, tools, and references when exploring, challenging, and advancing his creativity and imagination. This is how somewhat cliche tropes such as still lifes, fruit bowls, or plant pots, become approved, familiar templates to which he adds his own tone and atmosphere. And although timeless, their zeitgeist echoes through the image, obviously pointing at the 21st-century aesthetics that encompasses illustration, graphics, and painterly gestures.

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