About Chee Bravo

Chee Bravo reflects rich and diverse environments inhabited by vibrant and soulful individuals through her portraits. Her background as a printmaker and career as a graphic designer informs her creative process, first putting together digital collages with photography and computer manipulation, and then transferring the piece onto the canvas with acrylics and silk-screening. While her life began in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies, her journey began in the New York subways, capturing performers in their element. Her interests have only grown, with a trip to Havana Cuba inspiring a series on reflecting people’s cultural, religious, and political beliefs. Her current focus lies with the local performers of her hometown, Trenton, New Jersey. She holds a BFA in printmaking from Florida International University and numerous awards, including the Betty Laird Award and Addy Award. Her works can be found publicly in the permanent collections of Trenton City Museum, Florida International University, the Brooklyn Art Library, the Printmaking Center of New Jersey and featured in exhibitions throughout the tri-state area and abroad.  

 

New Brunswick Art Salon 2021 – Photography: “Shifted Nature”

Artist Personal Website: http://jcheebravo.com

Email:jcheebravo@yahoo.com

Artist Statement 

I create portraits of people in their environments by using a combination of photography and computer manipulation. These digital collages are then recreated on canvas with acrylics or silkscreened onto acid-free paper. Using current technology to initially produce my imagery then reverting back to silkscreening, a traditional printmaking medium, to create the final imagery is key to my artmaking. My journey began with capturing portraits of the New York subway performers. This series has grown to include performers I find in subways from my travels. My 2018 trip to Havana, Cuba, have inspired me to create another portrait series reflecting the people, their culture, their religious and political beliefs. I’m also working on a new series of local performers in my hometown of Trenton, NJ. My cumulative approach to creating my imagery reflects my traditional beginnings as a printmaker and my long career in graphic design. 

Exhibitions

  • 2020 Art of the River Towns, Stockton, NJ 
  • 2020 New Hope Arts “Music to My Eyes,” New Hope, PA 
  • 2020 Phillips Mill 91st Juried Show, Jurors: Mark Bockrath, Elsa Mora, Celia Reisman, Diane Marimow & Gary Weisman, New Hope, PA 
  • 2020 Art at the Library, Trenton, NJ
  • 2020 Artworks Art All Night, Trenton, NJ
  • 2020 Virtual Solo Show, Frontline Arts Studio, Branchburg, NJ
  • 2020 A&C Council of Bucks County “For the Love of Art,” Doylestown, PA
  • Shadfest 2020, Lambertville, NJ
  • 2020 Art in Isolation, N. Dakota Museum of Art Online Show, Grand Forks, ND
  • 2020 Ellarslie Museum “Not Quite Open,” Trenton, NJ
  • 2020 Inner Visions Juried Exhibition, Doylestown, PA
  • 2020 Artfair14C Juried Exhibition, Jurors: Ellen Callamari, Mathew Deleget, Ellen Hackl Fagan & Jessica L. Porter, Jersey City, NJ
  • 2020 Embrace the Past, Celebrate the Present, Dream the Future, New Hope Arts, New Hope, PA 
  • 2020 Artworks Art for Lee Fundraiser, Artworks Trenton, Trenton, NJ
  • 2020 Stick it On the Wall, the G2/BSB Gallery, Trenton, NJ
  • 2019 Frontline Members Exhibition, Branchburg, NJ 
  • 2019 Artworks Members Exhibition, Trenton, NJ
  • 2019 Artworks 10×10 Fundraiser, Trenton, NJ
  • 2019 Primar(il)y Red: Celebrating the Color Red, Emerge Gallery, Saugerties, NY
  • 2019 NHAL and Artsbridge Members Show, Stockton, NJ
  • 2019 Phillips Mill 90th Juried Show, Jurors James Brantley, Randall Exon, Stanley Bielen, Won Chai, and  Michael Grothusen, New Hope, PA
  • 2019 8th Annual Germantown Show, Imperfect Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 
  • 2019 “Art First” Exhibition, Novado Gallery, Jurors Anne Novado and Eleazar Sanchez, Jersey City, NJ
  • 2019 TACHP-The Art Center at Highland Park, Jurors Rhonda K. Brown, Cesar Conde and Sheri Rush, Highland Park, IL 
  • 2019 BAC-The Big Painting Show, Juror Donna Kessinger, Belmar, NJ 
  • 2019 New Hope Arts Center Members’ Exhibition, New Hope, PA 
  • 2019 Artworks Art All Night, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2019 Chashama Annual Gala/See Me, Manhattan, NY 
  • 2019 Ellarslie Open 36 Juried Exhibition, Juror Liz Kelton Sheehan, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2019 Art of Oscar Hammerstein Exhibition, Juror Patricia Hutton Galleries, Doylestown, PA 
  • 2019 Every Woman Biennial Exhibition, Curator Christine C. Finley, Manhattan, NY 
  • Shadfest 2019 Exhibition & Auction/Fundraiser, Lambertville, NJ  
  • 2019 33rd Annual Bucks Fever Art Exhibition, Juror Allan Fetterman, Jamison, PA 
  • 2019 Affordable Art Fair presented by See Me, Manhattan, NY 
  • 2019 See Me Digital Exhibition at the Jane Hotel, Manhattan, NY 
  • 2019 Anything…If You’re Brave Enough Exhibition, Curator Asha Ganpat, Newark, NJ 
  • 2019 Frontline Arts 45th Annual Juried Members Exhibition, Branchburg, NJ 
  • 2019 Common Threads 7, Sanctuary, Curators Christy O’Connor and C.a. Shofed, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2018 Artworks 10×10 Benefit Art Exhibit & Sale, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2018 Artworks Members Juried Exhibition, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2018 Art Takes Soho by See Me, (Online)
  • 2018 Volunteer Connect Fundraiser, Hamilton, NJ 
  • 2018 NHAL Exhibition, Doylestown, PA 
  • 2018 ACPS Biennial Fall Open Show, Juror Carol Meyers, Philadelphia, PA 
  • 2018 Phillips Mill 89th Juried Show, Jurors: Michael Madigan, Jeffery Reed, Margaret Wnslow, Christoph Spath & Katherine Stanek, New Hope, PA 
  • 2018 “TOYS” Exhibition, The Mukhal Zakin Gallery, Curator Asha Ganpat, Dermarest, NJ 
  • Shad Fest 2018 Exhibition & Auction Fundraiser, Lambertville, NJ 
  • 2018 Encased in a Story, Hosted by ChaShaMa, Matawan, NJ 
  • 2018 F The Art World, New York, NY 
  • 2018 New Hope Spring Exhibition and Auction, New Hope, PA 
  • 2018 Average Art, 2018 March Edition, London, UK 
  • 2018 Artworks 5th Annual Juried Print Exhibition, Juror Mike Quinn, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2018 Artsbridge Winter 2018 Members’ Exhibition, Stockton, NJ 
  • 2017 44th Frontline/PCNJ Annual Member Juried Exhibition, Juror Ahni Kruger, Branchburg, NJ 
  • 2017 New Hope Arts and Artsbridge Members Exhibition, New Hope, PA 
  • Shad Fest 2017 Exhibition & Auction/Fundraiser, Lambertville, NJ 
  • 2017 Nasty Women Exhibition, Philadelphia, PA 
  • 2017 Unnatural Election, New York, NY  
  • 2016 Artworks 10×10 Red Dot Fundraiser Exhibition, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2016 American Color Print Society ACPS, Philadelphia, PA 
  • 2016 A.I.R. Annual Auction/Fundraiser, Washington Crossing, PA  
  • 2016 PCNJ Traveling Key Member Exhibition, Juror Sandra C. Fernandez, Somerville and Hunterdon, NJ 
  • 2016 41st PCNJ Annual Member Exhibition, Jurors Eileen Foti and Sandra C. Fernandez, Branchburg, NJ 
  • 2016 Art is Everywhere by SeeMe/ChaShaMa/Squarespace, New York, NY (Frank Gehty Building) 
  • Shad Fest 2016 Exhibition & Auction/Fundraiser, Lambertville, NJ 
  • 2016 3rd Annual Juried Print Exhibition, Juror Justin Staller, Trenton, NJ 
  • 2016 Artsbridge Members’ Exhibition, Stockton, NJ 

Achievements

  • 2019 Artworks Members Exhibition, Awarded 2rd Place, Trenton, NJ
  • 2019 BAC-The Big Painting Show, Awarded 3rd Place, Belmar, NJ
  • 2019 Ellarslie Open 36 Juried Exhibition, Purchase Award for the Permanent Collection, Trenton, NJ
  • 2019 33rd Annual Bucks Fever Art Exhibition, Awarded Honorable Mention, Jamison, PA

Artist Interview