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I once read somewhere that, “men build institutions…so that four hundred years later their descendants can say “that is what he left.”
Inspirational art is what I have to leave. I must confess, honestly that I draw for my own selfish reasons. I find inner peace from sharing my gift with others.
Born and raised in Oakland, CA & being that I am a self-taught artist, I have not had the experience of being exposed to Art History, nor have I had the pleasure of being exposed to many other artists. So I do not have the boundaries imposed by formal training.
I would have to say my greatest influence is the camera. I have a great fascination with photography. I try to capture the spirit of my subject in my drawings as if I were doing an actual photo shoot.
If I were forced to give myself a label, I would have to say that I am primarily a portrait artist. I believe I have a strong affinity with people of icon status. This enables me to bring their portraits to life.
I have been featured at Expressions Art Gallery, Shades of Sienna, The Black Box and The Jahva House all in Oakland, California, also at The Sony Metreon Theater in San Francisco, California. My work has been featured at Captured Images Art Gallery in Oakland, California. My work has also been shown on Evening Magazine , B.E.T.’s Rap City, KRON 4 News, Countless music videos and also featured in numerous publications such as The Oakland Tribune, Black Beat Magazine, Showcase Magazine, HoodStars Magazine, Vblazin Online Magazine, The Laney Tower, and the Bay View Newspaper. I can be currently found at my place of business The Ave, located at 3116 Fruitvale Avenue, Oakland, Ca. or you can visit me on the web at www.airballin.com
My philosophy is…there are always positive opportunities to explore in society and art is a valuable contribution to the spirit of life…
“That is what he left…”
-De Andre Drake-