Selected Solo Exhibitions
2022 Experiencing Something, Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA
2020 So Actually That is Cool, Newton Free Library, Newton, MA
2017 Blake Brasher, Marina Gallery - Gródek nad Dunajcem, Poland
Blake Brasher, Biserica Fortificata Cincsor, Cincsor, Romania
I Just Want to Eat Food, Hudson Gallery, Gloucester, MA
2013 Lisa Frank Stole my Unicorn, Landau Gallery, Belmont Hill School, Belmont, MA
Selected Group Exhibitions
2022 MFA in Visual Arts Graduate Exhibition, Lesley Art + Design, Cambridge, MA
2021 Wells Art Contemporary, Wells Cathedral, Wells, Somerset, United Kingdom
85th Regional Exhibition, Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
Master Pieces, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
Pattern, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
Renew, Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA
Colors of Spring, Gallery Z, Lowell, MA
Abstract, Gallery Z, Lowell, MA
Members Prize Show, Cambridge Art Association, Cambridge, MA
2020 Repeat as Needed, Kingston Gallery, Boston, MA
Summer Show, Bromfield Gallery, Boston, MA
Intergalactic Open, Shockboxx Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA
Peripheral, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
ROX/SE, Piano Craft Gallery, Boston, MA
Yellowstone Art Auction 52, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT
2019 Brașov Blue Biennale, Casa Memorială Stefan Baciu, Brașov, Romania
Seventh Annual One, Arts Worcester, Worcester, MA
GNA Art Show, Salmagundi Art Club, New York, NY (award)
Small Works Show, Hilliard Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Plenty, 13Forest Gallery, Arlington, MA
Superfine Art Fair, Union Market, Washington, DC
New School Abstraction, Shockboxx Gallery, Hermosa Beach, CA
Abundance, Vanessa Lacy Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Pattern and Abstraction, Fe Gallery, Sacramento, CA
Living Mark 6, Verum Ultimum, Portland, OR
Void, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, OH
2018 83rd Regional Exhibition, Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
The Other Art Fair, Barker Hangar, Santa Monica, CA
2017 Sincerity and Sublimity, CAA University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA
The Other Art Fair, Brooklyn Expo Center, New York, NY
2016 Danforth Art Annual, Danforth Art Museum, Framingham, MA
Vitreous Sol, HUD Gallery, Ventura, CA
2015 110 Artisti Raccontano L’Italia, Palazzina Liberty, Milan, Italy
New Directions, Barrett Art Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
Abstract Catalyst, Verum Ultimum Gallery, Portland, OR
2014 Mined Over Matter, CAA University Place Gallery, Cambridge, MA
LaGrange National XXVIII, LaGrange Art Museum, LaGrange, GA
2013 ARTcetera, Aids Action Committee, Boston, MA
2012 Visions and Viewpoints, Lincoln Center for the Arts, Fort Collins, CO (award)
Selected Awards / Grants / Fellowships / Residencies / Scholarships
2021 Viotto Jarvi Watercolor Prize, Fitchburg Art Museum, Fitchburg, MA
2019 The Studios at MASS MoCA, artist residency, North Adams, MA
Dean’s Merit Scholarship, Lesley Art + Design, Cambridge, MA
Jury Award, GNA Art Show at the Salmagundi Art Club, New York, NY
2017 In/Certitude, Simpozionul Internaţional de Artă Vizuală (residency), Cincşor, Romania
2016 Professional Development Grant, MASS MoCA / Assets for Artists
Arthouse Garana, artist residency, Garana, Romania
Factum, artist residency, Brasov, Romania
2015 The Studios at MASS MoCA, artist residency, North Adams, MA
Water is Life Natural Baay, artist residency, Lago d’Orta, Italy
2014 Industry Labs, artist in residence, Cambridge, MA
L’Asino e la Luna, Fondazione Emilia Bosis, artist residency, Verdello, Bergamo, Italy
Centre Regional et International des Arts de Roujan, residency, Roujan, France
2012 2nd Place Winner, Visions and Viewpoints at the Lincoln Center, Ft. Collins, CO
Contemporary Artist Center Woodside, residency and merit scholarship, Troy, NY
2011 Arthouse Garana, artist residency, Garana, Romania
Associations
Bromfield Gallery, Artist Member, Boston, MA, 2020–present
Kingston Gallery, Associate Artist Member, Boston, MA, 2019–2020
Gallery 263, Artist Member, Cambridge, MA, 2013–present
Hudson Gallery, Gallery Artist, Gloucester, MA, 2016–2018
The Corporate Art Loan Program at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum,
Lending Artist, Lincoln, MA, 2018–present
Cambridge Art Association, Artist Member, Cambridge, MA, 2012–present
ArtsWorcester, Artist Member, Worcester, MA, 2019–present
Arts League of Lowell, Artist Member, Lowell, MA, 2016–2020
TransCultural Exchange, Board of Directors, Boston, MA, 2014–2020
MIT List Visual Arts Center, Advisory Board Member, Cambridge, MA, 2000–2003
2025 Interview by Lauren Boysa
Blake Brasher’s childhood, shaped by constant relocation due to his father’s career, created an early sense of instability and a deep connection to nature. Born in Oklahoma City, he spent his formative years in Alaska, Turkey, and Arizona. These shifts—from rural environments to highly structured air force bases—left a lasting impact on Brasher’s emotional landscape and later art. "The experience of being in a rural environment, where you're in nature and only have a connection to civilization, is very different from being in civilization with access to nature," he reflects.
The themes of space, movement, and isolation—both physical and mental—echo throughout his work. Brasher was always drawn to art, but it wasn’t initially a career path for him. "Painting was just something to do as a kid," he recalls, "It wasn’t until later that I understood it could be a career." Brasher eventually found his way to MIT, where he studied Visual Arts while also exploring the technological and mechanical aspects of his work. "I was always good at math and science, but I ran out of advanced classes, so I started thinking about what else there was," he explains. His interest in both the logical and creative worlds led him to paint at MIT, despite its reputation as a STEM-focused institution. "MIT didn’t have painting classes, but they had a cross program with Harvard. I would go to Harvard’s Carpenter Center studio to paint, and that was where I really started to immerse myself in painting."
Brasher’s process is rooted in intuition and constant evolution. He combines different mediums—acrylics, oil paints, markers, and collage elements—creating textured, layered works. “I tend to start with automatic, almost mindless patterns like grids or vines,” he shares. "Grids symbolize order, structure, the digital world. The vine patterns, however, feel more organic—like life itself, unpredictable and natural." These contrasting forms allow Brasher to create an ongoing dialogue between chaos and structure, the two forces he perceives constantly at play in life.
The tactile nature of his work is especially important to Brasher. "I like using raw, unstretched canvas because the composition wraps around the stretcher bars, reinforcing painting as an object, not just an image," he explains. This approach challenges the viewer's expectations, inviting them into a more immersive experience. "In the age of digital art and AI, the tactile experience of a handmade painting becomes even more significant," he notes. "It’s something you have to experience in person—something that can’t be replicated."
Throughout his career, Brasher’s work has evolved, but certain themes have remained constant. “When I look back, even when I was doing figurative work, I was always doing abstract warm-ups—color studies, blocking in. It’s about color and composition, the lines that hold everything together,” he reflects. Over the years, this focus has become more refined, shifting toward an ongoing exploration of space and texture.
His use of collage elements and song lyrics also plays a significant role in his work. “I listen to music or podcasts while I paint, and they influence the mood of the pieces,” Brasher says. “Titles are like entry points into the work. They help set the mood for the viewer, like a suggestion to approach the painting in a particular way.” These titles offer a glimpse into the mood and themes that drive his work.
Blake Brasher’s paintings invite contemplation and conversation. With each piece, he continues to explore the balance between raw emotion and ordered thought, much like his own upbringing, where he was constantly adapting to new environments. "It’s like I’m perpetually seeking balance," he says, acknowledging how his experiences shaped the emotional landscape that informs his work. Through his intricate use of materials and abstraction, Brasher’s paintings offer a space for viewers to reflect on both the chaos and order of life, creating a dialogue between the internal and external worlds.