ARTIST | FORMER NFL PLAYER
At Art Basel 2021 in Miami, Brian Poli-Dixon received the Best New Exhibitor Award (Spectrum Miami). Some critics have described his art in the lineage of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, Carmen Herrera, and Wilfredo Lam, but Brian simply desires to share his interpretations of color, words, and emotions with the world. Brian uses his love for photography to assemble stories in his mind before using his paint brush and hands to convey those stories on canvas. Much like renowned artist and former NFL player Ernie Barnes, Brian has been able to translate his discipline as a former NFL player to his passion for creating art. Growing up with an African-American father and an Italian-American mother in the United States during the 1980s and 1990s, Brian knows first-hand the nuances of how words, color, and emotion impact one’s perception of self, community, and the world. His family’s heritage is rooted in oral tradition, resilience, and creativity, and he desires for his art to tell stories and to spark conversations much like the songs of Griots in West Africa.His works have been shown at countless exhibitions around the globe, and Brian currently calls South Florida and Toronto home. His studios are located in both South Florida and Toronto. The Brian Poli-Dixon Art Gallery is located in South Florida as well.