Richmond Art Center Richmond Art Center

Orin Carpenter

Orin Carpenter

About: Born five months after Dr. King was assassinated, as a young child, I loved comic books and discovered that art could be my voice and superpower to cope with the stress that came with his skin tone. The challenges only increased as I grew in my truth as a young African-American man with a learning difference.

I realized that the beautiful worlds I encountered in the library could be brought to life with the stroke of a pencil or pen. I then began to paint on my mother’s walls. That’s when I realized I could imagine and bring to life anything I wanted. That realization I discovered then grew into creating a world that was safer than the world I lived in everyday. As I grew, so did my need to separate myself from the mundane and trivial things that caused me to isolate myself and find my world of comfort and solace. Within this world, the beauty of who I am became synonymous with what I believed.

Understanding I couldn’t hide in my imagination, I learned how to bring my imagination to reality. That’s when my voice was being molded. The artist…

My passion for life lives through the relationships I build with people. This same mantra is displayed through my art. When approaching the creation of my art, the process is the most fulfilling component for me. The style of my work is diverse but my first choice is mixed media. Using mixed media allows an incredible marriage between materials building one union. Within this process, I am able to leave the door open for the spiritual essence of who I am and what I create within the piece to develop. I allow the materials to speak to me creatively, as the chemistry between the materials maturates to a point of final execution. This is why my style is infused with the relationship I have with the subject matter, so the union can evolve right before your eyes. I truly learn more about who I am as an artist during this particular.

Website: www.orincarpenter.com

Visit and Contact

Richmond Art Center
2540 Barrett Avenue
Richmond, CA 94804-1600

 

Contact and Visitor Info
Gallery Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-4pm