Hrair

ABOUT

Hrair is a New York based artist born in 1973. An early interest in growing and painting, influenced by the album covers in his father’s record collection and later hip hop and skateboard culture, let to him studying fine art in college. Raised in London, he lived and worked in Tokyo, Spain, Paris and now New York. Living abroad influenced his work.

Defined by the use of a bold and vibrant palette of colors. the common theme behind his work is the exploration of the hidden souls found behind society’s masks, a reflection on the corporate rat race, the long corridor of closed doors, and the dread of expectation, scratching the surface to glimpse the emotion within.

Approaching from an unpremeditated perspective, the result is a free form, improvised layering of paint directly to the canvas often favoring a palette knife over brushes. This technique has allowed instinct to dictate the flow of the work; eschewing technically, his attention is always to capture a feeling or mood within the piece.

Featured in collections throughout the world, he has had pieces commissioned in the US, Bahamas, London and Japan with work recently showcased in New York.