POSITIVEbalance

Baylen Parada (Positive balance) - Entirely self taught, through trial and error and what others would call "relentless, almost stubborn" work ethic, he worked with the limited supply of tools allowed to him while incarcerated: paper, pen and colored pencils. Partially colorblind and undaunted by physical restrictions of prison, Baylen set his mind to creating his own unique brand of fine art. He found color to be more expressive and symbolic; using images from Pop Culture, Street Art and the old Masters as subjects viewed through a more distorted lens of prison walls, a more surreal and emotive style began to emerge in 2017. Baylen is still working today using colored pencil to explore surreal /abstract/ realistic portraitures and develop his visual language in order to more effectively communicate his unique thoughts on love, politics, nature and self. "Creativity, born from a lack of attention, esteem or simply an escape from an oppressive reality will always find an outlet, and the more its genuinely needed, as a necessity to survive, the more authentic it will be." - Author Unknown