Ben Brough is an artist whose work is loosely autobiographical, working from memory, presenting inspirations, and questioning of growth, excess, and decay. He paints because it is his favorite and most confident form of communication. Brough lives by the DIY code and uses materials and mediums of all kind—magazine clippings, materials attached to a surface, painted surfaces scraped away, stenciled, layered, repainted, torn down, and built back up again. He likes to explore the world that borders between abstract expressionism and the figurative, because telling a story through familiar imagery and playing with colors, space, and patterns are both just as important to him. Through this process, he connects to the surrounding world, open up memories, and communicates ideas. Brough likes leaving it up to the viewer to find their own energy inside his paintings and use it for what they need, even if it’s different from his intended message. He likes to think of a painting not just as a window into one human’s take on the world... but also a powerful tool to uplift one another.