Brian Tolbert

“I create on cardboard because it's harder to tell Black stories on white paper.” I’m Brian Tolbert, a multidisciplinary visual artist in Washington, DC, known for portraiture, self-portraits, and surrealist illustrations on cardboard. I emphasize faces and eyes in my work to capture the essence of subjects. I produce small-scale, graphite illustrations on cardboard with minimal color. I use strokes/shading to create tangible texture and give each piece volume/dimension. I then rework large scale reproductions on canvas using various mediums to reimagine the original artwork. My art centers my experiences as a Black man. I incorporate historical, cultural, and social nuances that shaped my understanding of Black identity in America. The rich texture and imperfections of cardboard enhance the Black stories I tell. Art is how I understand the world around me. Growing up in project housing my childhood was marred by violence, trauma, instability and racism, leaving me emotionally stunted and overwhelmed. Art offered a safe space to explore creativity and communicate how those events shaped my experience. I still use art to convey what I lack language to express. My work documents my journey of healing, self-discovery, unlearning toxic behaviors, and shedding a survival mindset. I've captured my life through surrealist portraits covering escapism, depression, losing 100 pounds, and my parents' deaths. Art helps me share my experiences exploring grief, self-worth, shame, trauma, vulnerability, and mortality. I invite viewers to reflect on their own relationship with these themes and find themselves in our shared human experience.