"Red Telephone" Painting

Justin Brennan is a contemporary abstract painter and mixed media artist based in Cleveland, Ohio. While he has always been drawn to art, Brennan became serious about his practice in 2005. Largely self-taught, his approach has been shaped by years of exploration, experimentation, and a commitment to learning through trial and error.
Brennan’s work is held in numerous private collections across the U.S. and internationally. His paintings have been featured in CAN Journal, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, Canvas Magazine, Studio Visit Magazine (Volume 50), and New American Paintings (Issue 167). He regularly participates in solo, two-person, juried exhibitions, and art fairs throughout the country.

My practice explores relationships and self-reflection, expressed through ambiguity and anonymity as I search for identity and purpose. Each painting begins with a sense of introspection and evolves as a direct extension of my inner world. The process is shaped by fleeting clarity, struggle, and material discovery—sometimes leading to the painting’s destruction and either its death or rebirth. Though the work may appear unpolished, it is intentionally raw, revealing the tension between vulnerability and transformation. In the end, I invite the viewer to find their own connection within the work.