New Paintings by Abraham Brewster

This solo exhibition marks Brewster’s return to public exhibition after a significant studio hiatus, shaped by the pandemic and the arrival of his two young children.

Spanning two to six feet in width, Brewster’s latest works are immersive and meditative, exploring vast, perhaps virtual, landscapes. These meticulously layered oil paintings hint at human presence through subtle traces—a balanced stone, a resting stick—evoking a haunting stillness. In his signature style, Brewster uses old-master techniques and translucent glazes to explore the tension between presence and absence, clarity and ambiguity. “Some of these paintings verge on the apocalyptic while others suggest eerie calm or quiet hope,” Brewster notes. “They balance loneliness and community, action and avoidance. They are tightly tied to the physicality and geometry of the canvas itself.”

Brewster studied at Yale University and received his MFA from the Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has held solo exhibitions in New York City, North Carolina, and Newfoundland, and has participated in numerous curated group shows including Icons of the 21st Century in New York and Academy 2003 at Conner Contemporary in Washington, D.C. His work has been featured in New American Paintings and reviewed in publications such as ForbesLife and The National Post.