MICHAEL DE BRITO’S STUDIO
Capturing Realistic Moments with Alla Prima
Parsons School of Design and the New York Academy of Art graduate, Michael De Brito, is a name to know! Recognized in his early career for nearly a decade of representation at the influential Eleanor Ettinger Gallery on West 57th street, De Brito gave PROVOKR a tour of his home and studio in an exclusive interview about his latest body of work. As a recipient of the Frank C. Wright Memorial Award, among others, Michael’s paintings have received international recognition. His work has been exhibited at the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Abbaye Saint André in France, and Museu Afro in Brazil. He was commissioned to paint Justice Rui Manuel Gens de Moura Ramos, President of the Constitutional Court of Portugal, and we know why!
Michael’s work, which primarily features his friends and family, invites the viewer into the world of a cast of characters. Each painting is part of a larger narrative that reminds the interpreter of the importance of family. When asked about painting loved ones, Michael said, “That’s what I care about. Most people just gravitate toward this work. There’s just something in it.” He said that the concept became clear to him after creating and showing one significant painting. “I remember when I was 22, when I did the painting that I did downstairs by the table, I’ve never sold it. People have wanted to buy it from me, and I don’t want to sell it because it’s the painting that basically was my breakthrough. When I did it, I knew something changed. And I knew that I found something.”
“My grandfather died a month after I did that painting. These people, they’re here in this moment you know, and we have to kind of take them in and appreciate them for that moment. That’s what all these people really are. All these people I am super connected to. I care about them a lot. That’s what I want to come through in my work. People see that. That’s why when they see the work; they almost feel like those people are their family. And if that comes through, then I’ve done my job.”
Allison Collins, owner of Collins Galleries on Cape Cod, certainly agrees. The Collins Gallery currently displays six of De Brito’s paintings and may have five more by the next showing starting November 28th. When asked about his work, Collins had a lot to say. “People can relate to it. He brings you right into the heart of the family.” Of the individual paintings she selected to showcase, she said, “they are very dynamic, very active paintings. They are filled with lots of information: pots and pans, dishes. There is just so much in them.”
This ‘dynamic’ style is called ‘Alla Prima.’ It is an Italian technique that roughly translates to wet on wet; essentially, he does not wait for the layers to dry before adding more paint to an image. In Michael’s case, the result is a brilliant mix of Impressionism and Realism in which the viewer feels like they are a part of something alive. On this, the artist remarked, “when the viewer is part of the piece, those to me are the most successful paintings.” Collins added, “his marks are beautiful. He stands out quite wonderfully for his style and brush marks!”
When discussing the evolution of his craft and what he has produced most recently, Michael said, “As long as I can put out work that I am happy with and I’m proud of, then that’s all that matters. I think that’s what I’ve gained as a person.” If you want to see more of Michael De Brito’s work, it is currently featured in The New Salem Museum, the Collins Galleries, and other museums worldwide. You can also find him on Instagram!
