‘Incantations in Crisis’ Opening Reception

Being primarily of Northern New Mexico descent,

Brandon has a fascination with the history and

culture of the land, as well as its living and

historical ties to the story of Mexico and its

mestizo legacy. In his much anticipated latest solo

show with Lapis Room, he continues his

exploration of these cultural roots while diving

deeply into personal struggles that perhaps

resonate universally, too.

“Since the beginning of this year—and even

before—the world has been in turmoil. There’s a

growing sense of uncertainty about the future:

climate change, economic instability, the return

of Trump to office, ongoing wars in Palestine and

Ukraine—the list goes on. It has become increasingly difficult to stay focused, to stay positive.

Crisis, in one form or another, seems to be on everyone’s mind.

Amid these larger global struggles, my own life also fell into crisis. I watched my long-term

relationship dissolve before my eyes. I had to start over, from a dark and uncertain

place—with my life packed into boxes and a mat on the floor for a bed.

But art has always been a reliable refuge for me. A meditation. A grounding practice that

began when I was a child, long before I understood its deeper purpose. Back then, I just

thought it was fun to make pictures. Now I see that the act of painting is a kind of

alchemy—transforming simple materials into something others perceive as precious, like

gold.

The word incantation is defined as “a series of words used as a magic spell,

” as in an

incantation to raise the dead. I’m not using words or chants to summon anything, but when my soul feels dead, art has repeatedly revealed its quiet magic—the power to resurrect the

weary spirit.

Though this isn’t always evident in the themes of these particular pieces (I’m not

emotionally ready to go there just yet), the act of creating them felt like reciting prayers to

the universe. In the midst of my own personal crisis, I found myself again—through the

transformative, almost mystical process that art can be.