Brent Estabrook
Biography
"It’s not what you paint, it’s how you paint."
Brent Estabrook is an American artist known for his large-scale, colorful oil paintings of stuffed animals. Born in Arizona and raised in Seattle, WA, he holds a Bachelor of Studio Arts from the University of Arizona. With a playful yet growth-oriented approach, Estabrook combines challenging technique with a childlike sense of joy, creating textured and vibrant compositions.
His artistic journey began by turning frustration over student debt into paintings of enlarged currencies, leading to a career breakthrough. Over time, his work has evolved through various styles, including realism, hyperrealism, abstract, and surrealism. He is currently focusing on his Quilts and cRaZy stuFFed aniMALs series, where he explores themes of nostalgia and comfort.
Estabrook has exhibited internationally, including solo exhibitions in Los Angeles and at the Long Beach Museum of Art, as well as during Art Basel in Miami. In the summer of 2024, he undertook a residency at Maddox Gallery Gstaad, culminating in a solo show which showcased his latest works. Currently based in Los Angeles, Estabrook continues to captivate audiences around the world with his evocative artwork and his newly launched art-inspired luxury plushie line.
BRENT ESTABROOK IN SHEPHERD MARKET
ARTIST STATEMENT
Estabrook's artistic journey is marked by a delightful playfulness intertwined with a meticulous approach to painting. In each artwork, Estabrook merges the precision honed from his dental education with a childlike sense of joy and curiosity. Through the application of thick, richly pigmented brushstrokes, Estabrook creates textured surfaces that evoke the tactile qualities of terrycloth, velvet, and plush fabrics.
The inspiration for his artistic odyssey arose during his time in dental school, where he found solace in creating paintings of enlarged currencies as a response to mounting student debt. This pivotal experience led him to recognize the potential of pursuing an artistic career. As his exploration continued, Estabrook ventured into a series of colorful skulls, allowing him to freely experiment with color and technique, eventually developing his distinctive brushwork and color palette.
Central to Estabrook's artistic process is a mindful presence. He firmly believes that "it is not what you paint, but how you paint." This philosophy emphasizes the significance of a practiced awareness that keeps him connected to every brush bristle and each mark on the canvas. Drawing inspiration from meditation techniques and the uninhibited exploration of children at play, Estabrook fully immerses himself in his artwork.
Estabrook remains driven to explore new subjects and content, continuously pushing the boundaries of his artistic expression. His goal is to captivate audiences with luminous and evocative compositions that seamlessly harmonize technical precision with the unbridled joy and curiosity exemplified in a child's play.
Through his artwork, Estabrook invites viewers to embark on a journey where textures come alive, colors dance, and the act of painting becomes a transformative experience of connection and self-discovery.
