What do you do when your paintbrush is past its useful purpose? Throw it, of course. A better option would be to give it to Rebecca Szeto; she transforms them into works of art! It comes as no surprise that her amazing model figurines of discarded paintbrushes have become the talk of the town.
Paintbrush portraits by Rebecca Szeto
Based in San Francisco, USA, this American artist has created a series titled ‘Paintbrush Portraits’. She shares on mymodernmet.com, “The ‘Paintbrush Portraits’ series has always been a vehicle for delivering wry social commentary through historical reference and ecologically-conscious craftsmanship.” According to her, it continues to be a personal exploration into the enduring modesty and subtle dignity of the human condition.
Szeto, a native San Franciscan, and first-generation Chinese American artist, graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley and did a stint abroad for a year at Lorenzo De Medici in Florence, Italy. She has studied under a number of mentors and artists, such as Rose Shakinovsky in South Africa and Claire Gavronsky in Italy, and many others. Besides this, she has attended a number of residences in various countries.
Training under eminent artists helped Szeto hone her skills and think innovatively. This led her to reuse unconventional materials for her art. Says she on mymodernmet.com, “I repurpose humble, mass-produced materials and largely found rubbish to investigate the possibilities in reforming beauty and value. In doing so, I set aside preconceived notions about the materials so I can freely explore their inherent qualities and investigate meaning beneath the surface.”
Rebecca Szeto Gives Old Paintbrushes New Life
Most of Szeto’s works are inspired not only by characters from everyday life but by history too. So, you will find delicately hand-painted women donning dresses of yore…the dresses being the bristle part of the brush. Says She on her website, “I make it and keep it strange as a mischievous entry point to seeing things with fresh eyes and introducing critical reflection as a quiet but forceful agent of change.”
Szeto has numerous solo and group exhibitions to her credit. She is also a recipient of many awards that including the Banff Merit Scholarship and the Pamela Joseph Merit Fellowship for Minority Artists.
Rebecca Szeto
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