JOHN NEARY

John is an Irish-born, Detroit-based artist. He pulls influence from his homeland and culture to create abstract art. He started to paint as a therapeutic way to deal with loss, and now has a wide portfolio of peaceful and minimal aesthetic works. We ask him about his ideal creative environment and how his style has changed + evolved overtime. Read on to learn more about John and his work.

What is your favorite type of art to create?

There’s an ancient form of Irish writing called ogham. It was typically done on stones, from bottom to top, with letters represented by various combinations of diagonal and horizontal lines. I take words that have meaning to me and create abstract art from their equivalent in ogham writing. My largest series is the “time” series where the markings spell out the Gaelic word for time.

What details do you enjoy working on when creating?

Bringing a piece together for a client and especially having a sense for where the space will live. Art can be made to beautifully compliment a space if the two are in sync.

Who or what influences your work?

I started painting as a therapeutic way to deal with loss of a loved one a few years ago. That healing process was the greatest factor in setting the language for my work. Other than that I’m influenced by a host of artists I love to follow online.

What are the most important elements when creating?

Use of negative space is very important to me. I like to create work that is calm and peaceful, which makes ‘where you don’t paint’ just as important as where you do paint.

How do you collaborate with a client to capture their vision?

Mostly just to understand the space where the painting will live. My style is my style and I don’t compromise my approach, I just adapt spacing and tones to work with their space.