Brandon Celi swaps editorial illustration for sculptural fine art

Illustrator Brandon Celi has taken a creative turn, expanding his process to include work conceptually closer to the artistic side of the spectrum.

“My practice has expanded a little bit from editorial illustration over to fine art, sculpture and mural work,” Brandon explains. The results of Brandon’s fine art exploration are considered elaborations of his previous work, but are still packed with the hilarity that made us fall for him in the first place.

The process of being set briefs by publications to create work from is an exercise Brandon has expanded. “A lot of my work these days has been focused on themes of consumption relating to material goods and electricity.” Whatever the medium, these themes are identifiable on first glance of Brandon’s work, whether it be a card machine being held by the hand of god, or miscellaneous toothpaste. Each of these works question how we react to these consumable goods but are also easily recognisable, visually digestible pieces of fine art.

As well as participating in a number of group shows Brandon has additionally started painting murals, an opportunity to showcase his work on a larger scale rather than in print. One project the artist has been working on recently was a mural for Art Alley a project in Niagara Falls that hires “a handful of artists, local and abroad, to paint murals in this abandoned alleyway soon to be turned into an open public space.” This project relates back to the artist’s themes of consumerism: “The goal is to breathe a little bit of life into a place that the economy has left behind.”