After seeing the intriguing art pieces of @patrickeugeneart on instagram we decide to reach out to the artist of the interesting colorful pictures to find out a little more about the man behind the paintings. It was a chilly March evening in 2014 when we met with the artist Patrick Eugene at his then creative space in Brooklyn, NY. There were many interesting facts I found out about the artist that really sparked my interests and caused him to stand out amongst the norm. Starting with he decided to quit a lucrative job as banker, to become a painter. The second interesting fact was he had never painted or drawn a image prior to painting his first piece. It was very surprising that this man, who claimed to have started painting just 5 months ago at the time created art that can hold weight with the likes of Banksy, and Picasso.
We asked Patrick why did you start painting? He replied saying;
“one day, I felt overwhelmed with the pressures and stress of my professional life, and decided to go to an art store to see what I could find. After purchasing some paint, brushes, and a small canvas, I went home and painted a woman’s face but didn’t think much of it. It wasn’t until I received feedback from friends that I decided I might actually be on to something”
Interestingly, alot of Patrick’s early work is centered around womanism because being the oldest of three sisters he experienced first hand what a female goes through when facing the world
Patrick Eugene can be easily mistaken with someone that has spent years painting because his techniques are so clean. The colors he chooses to use are very pleasing to the eyes, and his paintings automatically draws emotions to the viewers. It’s clear this man was born with a gift, but, like in Patrick’s words, “there is no order to the madness”, “if I feel like painting, I do, if I don’t feel like painting, I don’t” and judging from his work, you certainly cannot put an order to greatness, self expression and most importantly, destiny. After our interview turned conversation, I told him he is on his way to being heralded as the new generation’s Basquiat, he humbly nodded and let out a barely audible “thank you”.
From the time we did this interview 4 years ago Patrick has taken his talent to another level. His work has been displayed in art exhibits, a few top level art galleries, and he has sought list of satisfied buyers. I guess quitting jobs was a great idea. Patrick Eugénw is definitely a budding talent to be reckoned with.
