We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brian Lacey. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brian below.

Hi Brian, thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

The most meaningful project to date would have to be the first time I got to collaborate with my now good friend, HoxxoH (Douglas Hoekzema). The project started with me being hired as his Assistant for his first project in the city of Detroit, He lives and works out of Miami, FL. Assistant positions are always great opportunities no matter where one is at in their career due to multiple reasons. They are always a learning experience because you get to participate with another Artists process, on top of being a great way of maintaining ones humility. I was just starting out in the mural game, fresh out of my undergrad so having the chance to assist someone of his caliber, even at that point in his career was an amazing opportunity in and of itself. Doug quickly took me under his wing with his willingness to teach me that of which I didn’t know without ego, judgement and without being a “gatekeeper”. We very quickly became good friends during the duration of the mural and he ultimately elevated my position within the project to a collaborator allowing me to paint my own assets and contributions in the piece. In addition to that the mural was painted on a local school which instilled lasting impressions of the importance of community, non-profit and school based projects. My relationship with HoxxoH continues to grow in Art and beyond today as we have collaborated several times since, connect one another with new work and clients and in general maintain our friendship. On top of all this its one of the relationships that greatly planted the seed and understanding of the importance of mentorship and teaching which I will forever commit to paying forward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

As with many creatives my relationship with Art began at any early age in childhood. In my teenage years I was pulled deeply into the world of Graffiti. This has had massively lasting effects on my approach, craft and drive to create large-scale public Art. One of the biggest things I love about Graffiti that carries over to public Art and murals is the element that you are providing Art essentially for free to many people, some of which may not normally participate or go out of their way to enjoy Art. In my 20’s having attended the College For Creative Studies to obtain a degree in Illustration and Fine Art this theme continued to permeate my work with the proliferation of mural painting. While I am an Artist in general, and Gallery Artist, my passion for mural painting stays at the forefront of my Art Practice. While being prolific and remaining current is a must I will always emphasize quality over quantity. There’s a few of us out there but my attention to the smallest details, quality, and cleanliness is my biggest pride and quite honestly difficult to match. My style is very much unique to me, but so is my emphasis to multiple approaches. Given the machine that the Art World is, many Artists, though still accomplished and ‘popular’ get very visually stuck the entirety of their careers in creating in one particular style or aesthetic approach. I take great pride in the recognition and distinction of my craft while fluidly working with and through a multitude of styles. This has not only set me apart from many other Artists, but also makes me and my work desirable to a myriad of clients and applications. The final facet Id like to point out is my dedication to community and mentorship. I have been incredibly blessed to have very gracious teachers and mentors while I was coming up, this is something I do not take for granted. Without them and their direction my trajectory wouldn’t be where it is today. For this reason I am forever indebted to teaching and giving back what was so willingly provided to me.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Why we do it– It’s the biggest misconception that you need an inherent ‘talent’ to make or enjoy Art. Art is literally for everyone. We are all creatives and artists as children. Art is taught out of most of us as we ‘grow up’. At the same time, its NEVER too late to be, or continue being an Artist. It doesn’t have to be your career but it’s a part of your life whether you realize it or not. Our understanding of Art and the immense value of it needs to change.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Understand the value of Art, both in the monetary sense and to society as a whole. Simply understanding the worth of Art or a given creative service can go miles.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.detroitbaklava.com
• Instagram: @studio_baklava
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianlaceyart