Bidspirit auction | Brother III – Original 2021

Brother III – Original 2021 Acrylic Portrait by Chinwe Russell, British-Nigerian Contemporary - Brother III is an original acrylic portrait created in 2021 by Chinwe Russell, the British-Nigerian contemporary artist internationally recognised for her emotionally charged figurative work and her groundbreaking touring series, “20 Historical Women Who Changed the World.”This expressive 20 x 25 cm (8 x 10 inches) painting forms part of Russell’s evocative Brothers series — a collection exploring identity, Black masculinity, memory, and the inner emotional worlds carried quietly by men across generations.In Brother III, the profile of the male figure emerges powerfully from a richly layered background. The deep, earthy browns of the face contrast with vibrant strokes of blue, yellow, coral, and green that swirl around the head like living energy. These bold palette-knife marks suggest movement, ancestry, and the turbulence of personal history.What defines this work, as with the others in the series, is the eye — painted with stark impasto contrasts of black, white, and icy blue. It becomes the emotional centre of the painting: contemplative, searching, steady. It confronts the viewer with vulnerability, dignity, and a sense of unspoken strength.The shifting colours along the contours of the head — flashes of yellow like light breaking through, cool blues in the shadows, and warm tangerine and green strokes — give the portrait a layered, almost spiritual presence. Russell’s textured, gestural application of paint brings the figure to life in a way that feels raw, immediate, and deeply human.As in much of her work, Russell draws on themes of cultural identity, heritage, resilience, and emotional truth. Her practice is rooted in storytelling, and the Brothers paintings capture the quiet endurance and inner complexity of Black men — figures who carry history in silence yet stand with unmistakable strength.Chinwe Russell’s work has been exhibited widely across the UK and internationally, including at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, and her paintings are held in private and public collections around the world.Signed on the back and painted on stretched canvas, Brother III can be displayed individually or paired with Brother I and Brother II to form a powerful triptych exploring brotherhood, identity, and resilience.A compelling and emotionally resonant work by a rising international contemporary artist.Chinwe Russell art, African contemporary portrait, expressive acrylic painting, textured figurative artwork, British-Nigerian artist, collectible small painting, contemporary portraiture, emotional art, 2021 original painting, LiveAuctioneers listing Condition: Very Good as in the images Dimensions: 25 x 20 x 2 cm