OLIVIA BRUCE
Alma Thomas Fellow
The Way I Remember Her, 2021, 22” x 30”, watercolor
A Break Thru
Eminence
My Favorite Hat
ARTIST STATEMENT
“Olivia Bruce depicts the fluidity the body unveils in each painting. The artist uses watercolor paint to illustrate movement while highlighting the beauty of skin tones by layering hues of blue, orange, and yellow. Her paintings are a story of rhythm with every stroke and each gesture captured. To see her paintings, is to feel a sense of emotion, whether it be freedom or somber. The artist photographs subjects in movement, in harmony with oneself or in an intimate space with someone else. Her imagery holds a sense of purity, humanity, and beauty. As a Black woman, she sees beauty in herself and those alike; that same beauty glistens in the sunlight and even the darkness of the night. It's not about race but about the beauty of color in movement. Olivia is intrigued by how our bodies can tell a story and how color can drastically effect the narration. She paints these forms and figures so that audiences can subjectively view color through movement while also appreciating the form of each subject.”