Abstract painter Wallace Whitney has been living and working in the Bronx, New York for the past five years. Whitney is known for his bright, energetic abstract paintings that use loose brush strokes and compositions focusing on colour and movement.

Whitney’s studio in the Bronx was once a Dominican dancehall, and the space has an interesting eclecticism to it. One space that the artist has filled in with shelves of supplies was once a space for a DJ booth. I think it would lend an interesting energy to one’s painting work to be in a space where so many parties once happened.

The artist has said that he doesn’t tend to make preliminary sketches, but rather starts paintings directly on a hand-stretched canvas. He also tends to have multiple paintings on the go at once, moving between then, observing details and making changes while the paint on other works dries. Whitney’s studio is not shared, and given what a spacious studio it is he has room to keep a pretty high number of paintings on the go.

Outside the studio is an empty concrete lot where Whitney works during pleasant weather. It would be nice to have this extra space, especially in the summer when the indoors are oppressively hot. The studio space itself doesn’t seem to have many windows, either, making an outdoor space all the more useful.

Whitney’s abstract paintings are intensely vibrant – some of them are reminiscent of the works of our own artist Skai Fowler. Working cohesively, Whitney still manages to create a unique world in each of his paintings.  

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