Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Brill.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Victoria. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Growing up, my family moved around a lot. Every two or so years, it was not unusual for us to pick up and move, many times out of state. This had both positive and negative effects on me, I think, as a developing person. It was good because I had the opportunity to meet so many different types of people and see so many new places. But on the flip side, I was never able to put real roots anywhere. With constant displacement, creating friendships became increasingly difficult. This is where my issues with dissociation really started to affect me.
Our final move as a family was to a small town southeast of Dallas. Starting at yet another school, while also going through the angst of teenage-hood, I felt extremely disconnected. I was unsure of myself and of my ability to communicate with my new peers properly. That’s when art really entered my life. I realized that the complex emotions, questions and ideas that I had were easily translatable into a physical, visual media. I was able to then find my people!
Art felt so right and still feels like the best choice I’ve ever made. After high school, I attended college at the University of Texas at Dallas, receiving my BA in Visual Art and a minor in Art History. Immediately after graduation, I found a studio space in Trinity Groves in an artist community known as the Tin District. I also began an immersive internship at Dallas Contemporary, where I continue to work today as a Learning / Visitor Services Coordinator. I’ve been living, now, for almost three years as an active artist and art educator in Dallas.
My preoccupation with the interworking of thoughts, feelings, memories, identity, time, and reality has found an outlet through creating artwork and working creatively with others.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Is anything ever truly easy? *laughs*
No, I believe if something is truly worth having or doing it is never an easy road, but that’s one of the best parts, I think. It is literally a gift to experience pushing yourself way past your maximum limit only to discover that you are capable of so much more than you thought. Lifelike, this can help build your best qualities. You become more confident and sure, you experience the most humbling moments, and you get to fill your life with so much joy and love.
Many people follow the path of a creative experience the same type of struggles. Lack of support. Doubt from yourself and those that you initially surrounded yourself with. Rejection is a huge one. But tough roads create tough people, and I’m excited to face the next big challenge thrown my way.
Tell us more about your work.
By employing the human figure with traditional painting techniques and exploratory studies, my work sets out to investigate the complexity of relationships, the levels of self-awareness, and the ambiguity of existence.
From an early age, I have long sat and day-dreamed about the subjective nature of reality. Each question is leading to a new set of curiosities. While battling not only our shared experiences, I have always been at odds with myself. Who am I? Why am I? What is what I’m experiencing? Do others feel this too? Through my work, I have found a conduit for these endless lines of questioning. Creating introspective compositions, I look to find universal continuities, but more importantly, ripples in our collective experience of the ‘real.’ My paintings often reach sizes larger than life-size, pressing you to confront these ideas with your whole body.
I believe that through continuous explorations of our inner selves, exposing of misconceptions, and evolving our greater understandings of our shared consciousness, we can create a more empathic existence.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.victoriajbrill.com
- Email: victoriajbrill@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriajbrill/
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