Sebastian Blanck, like the Impressionists before him, is compelled by quiet, quotidian moments. His work challenges the viewer to stand still and lose oneself in the narratives through strong lines, vibrant color, and playful composition. Blanck’s paintings are an expression of the feelings that connect us with one another. By capturing the personalities of loved ones, close friends, and his children at play, he can convey a mood with great familiarity giving both an emotional and a visual impact on the viewer.
In painting idyllic scenes of a childhood spent in the outdoors—boys paddleboarding on a lake or adventuring far-off in the distance, dwarfed by trees—or his wife, Isca, in her sunhat, surveying her garden, there is an earnest commitment to what the artist describes as “leaning into the more joyous moments.” Sebastian Blanck approaches his work as an artist as a visual diary of what happens in his family life and in his friends’ lives. In this lush world, abundance and gratitude permeate.
Born in New Haven, CT in 1976, Blanck holds a BFA in Painting from the Rhode Island School of Design and was selected as a visiting artist at the American Academy in Rome in 2001. Widely recognized for his musical contributions in addition to his painting, Blanck has exhibited at galleries in the United States and Europe. His work has been reviewed in publications including New York Magazine, Artforum, Paper Magazine and The New Yorker. Sebastian Blanck currently lives and works in New York.