Before Braxton Fuller taught himself the nuances of creating art, he started off as a writer. That led to him creating text art, which evolved into conceptual art, allowing the viewer to relate to the pieces in more obvious ways.
The Kansas City native uses his own hieroglyphic-styled language and quirky color washes to persuade the viewer to feel as if they understand the piece without needing explanation. “They don’t know what’s going on, but they know it’s important,” he says.
Fuller will debut his first solo exhibition show this week in the metro. (More on that in a minute.) We caught up with the artist to find out five things you don’t know about him.
5) I have a phobia of the doctor’s office.
“I can’t even get my blood pressure taken without it being abnormally high. Pretty crazy that I fear that the people who might need to save me—will kill me.”
4) I recently found out my girlfriend was pregnant—with triplets!
A month later I found out that I was having identical twins within the triplets. As rare as it is to have natural triplets, it’s even more rare to have identical twins within the triplets. Thus, I’ve decided that I should start gambling and quit being an artist. (Kidding.)
3) I started my art career as a poet.
“I’ve written a full book (of poetry)—and it’s just sitting on my desktop. I still enjoy writing poetry. It’s a natural talent I discovered. I actually have a mural in my hometown of a quote I came up with.”
2) I nearly choked to death on a Life Saver candy.
“As a child, my grandmother ran me down the street to a local fire department because I was choking on a Life Saver. I guess they don’t really save lives. They are made so that the consumer can’t choke on them, but I, indeed, almost died. I haven’t eaten a Life Saver since!”
1) My first solo art show is titled “Where We’ve Been.”
“The show is basically a walkthrough of events and emotions I’ve experienced throughout my journey. Using colors and symbols, I’m connecting the viewers to my life and the things I’ve been through. This show is a nontraditional gallery showing. Pieces won’t just be hung up on the walls but are placed to help put the viewers in my shoes. I’ll be using props and studio materials to help walk the user through days in my life. The show will be a total experience of art and emotion.”
Braxton Fuller: “Where We’ve Been”
April 15 – 17 at
1827 McGee St, Kansas City
7 – 11 p.m.