About Donavon Brutus
Represented Artist
Donavon was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The cartoons of the 80’s and 90’s inspired him to start drawing at an early age. He was set on becoming an animator when he grew up. Throughout his time at Fayetteville High School, Donavon focused his art on sculpture and abstracts. After graduating he moved to Tampa to start a college education in animation. During this time, in addition to animation, he discovered the joy of digital art and graphic design. His career as a motion graphics animator took him to San Francisco, where he currently resides. Despite a passion for motion design, he still spends much of his spare time doing digital illustration stills.
I get peace from observing natural and unnatural lines in the world. I like everything from the soft curve of a hip to the sharp edge of a building. The precise straight lines cut your view, simplifying a scene into smaller shapes. Those gently sweeping natural curves that extend then return to where they started or the line from one shape continues into another. Two curves that glide close enough to kiss then shoot off in opposite directions.
These observations guide what I make. Love to simplify what I see in animals, the human form, and my experiences. Thematically I explore mindfulness, diversity, music, black excellence, and popular culture. Generally feel that POC and LGBT+ communities are still significantly under-represented in our culture, and the representations are often flat. As an ally I try to shift this. My work is a meditation of organizing shapes into something that feels aesthetic.
The Freedom series represents freedom in various forms. For me as a creative, it was a freedom in two other forms. Freedom from my usual color palette of blues, greens, and yellows. Also, it represents freedom to use reference and be inspired outside of my own experience.
About the art
Donavon was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. The cartoons of the 80’s and 90’s inspired him to start drawing at an early age. He was set on becoming an animator when he grew up. Throughout his time at Fayetteville High School, Donavon focused his art on sculpture and abstracts. After graduating he moved to Tampa to start a college education in animation. During this time, in addition to animation, he discovered the joy of digital art and graphic design. His career as a motion graphics animator took him to San Francisco, where he currently resides. Despite a passion for motion design, he still spends much of his spare time doing digital illustration stills.
I get peace from observing natural and unnatural lines in the world. I like everything from the soft curve of a hip to the sharp edge of a building. The precise straight lines cut your view, simplifying a scene into smaller shapes. Those gently sweeping natural curves that extend then return to where they started or the line from one shape continues into another. Two curves that glide close enough to kiss then shoot off in opposite directions.
These observations guide what I make. Love to simplify what I see in animals, the human form, and my experiences. Thematically I explore mindfulness, diversity, music, black excellence, and popular culture. Generally feel that POC and LGBT+ communities are still significantly under-represented in our culture, and the representations are often flat. As an ally I try to shift this. My work is a meditation of organizing shapes into something that feels aesthetic.
The Freedom series represents freedom in various forms. For me as a creative, it was a freedom in two other forms. Freedom from my usual color palette of blues, greens, and yellows. Also, it represents freedom to use reference and be inspired outside of my own experience.