Mon co3ur est une flamme (black & white edition), 2024

Brett Crawford  

This work was inspired by Brett's anticipation of coming to Bergerac, France, to create his first lithographs, alongside his reading of “Cyrano de Bergerac: Heroic Comedy in Five Acts" – a play by Edmond Rostand, which explores themes of love and heroism—elements that resonate deeply in Brett's artistic expression.

Below is a part of a quote from Act 3, Scene 6 of the play “Cyrano de Bergerac: Heroic Comedy in Five Acts" where Cyrano expresses his unrequited love for Roxane and the solitude of his own heart. “Mon cœur est une flamme qui brûle avec ardeur, mais elle brûle sans éclairer personne." Which translates to: “My heart is a flame that burns with passion, but it burns without illuminating anyone."

Brett Crawford

Based in Southern California, Brett Crawford is a multidisciplinary artist whose works span across painting, sculpture, design, and street murals; each of his works is a cultural exchange between art, fashion, and street culture.

Navigating a challenging life, art has always been his escape: “I struggle with language," Crawford says. “Art is my language. I try to tell stories through imagery, using my characters to tell my stories. It's me manifesting my own thing."

A somehow non-conventional artistic path, which however led him to worldwide recognition – as witnessed by the recent Singapore pop-up exhibition by leading auction house, Phillips, followed by the auction record of the painting H3RE HE COMES at Phillips Hong Kong (HK$2.1 M) and his first solo show in Asia, “WAST3D POT3NTIAL", also at Phillips' HK. 

Despite the success and growing stature in the art world, Crawford recognises that real legacy isn't manifested in statues. “I love making art," he says, “but my hope is, when I'm gone, people will say that I was kind, I hope to be described as a good brother and a good father and a good son. And I hope they can say, he could also draw a little bit."