Exhibitions

Salon Highlight:
Davariz Broaden
October 15 - November 30, 2022

Louis Buhl is pleased to present a new Salon Highlight with Detroit-based artist Davariz Broaden. Commonly using a muted color palette, Broaden’s paintings distill a soft essence and highlight the importance of love & beauty within the Black community, as well as nostalgic events in the Black experience.⁠ Broaden’s flourishing craft pursues the rich tradition of figurative painting, while the warm energy exuded throughout his work manifests itself onto the viewer with ease.

At the heart of Broaden’s Salon Highlight presentation is a celebration: of his love for painting, of his ability to create freely, of the greater sense of self that comes with age. Within the paintings, figures gather in moments of simple joy and togetherness. Through the collection of intimate illustrations, the audience is led to imagine one larger, collective scene, where lovers dance hand-in-hand to the tunes of the seasoned musicians. Evident by the rendered brass instruments, Broaden centers the series around the musical genre of jazz for its improvisational nature, a characteristic that correlates to the artist’s own efforts of expressive experimentation within his art practice. Honing in on his attempt of “being free,” Broaden uses oil paint for the first time within this body of work, resulting in the emergence of loose brushwork while still managing to remain true to his traditional style of portraiture.

“All of this is very symbolic for me, jazz being super free sonically and the gold instruments having a connection to gold trophies or medals. These are typically rewards you receive while celebrating after you win something in life. Being able to create freely in a world full of compromise is my win, so the goal is to continue to celebrate with my work.”

Salon Highlight: Davariz Broaden is on view at Louis Buhl & Co. from October 15th through November 30th, 2022.