Downingtown Artist Brian Hearns Featured in Two Solo Exhibits

by Melissa Jacobs

Birds, musicians, Maya Angelou; Brian Hearns’s subjects are as varied as his mediums. The Downingtown artist, who goes by the creative and declarative name LiVnSoL, used cut paper, exuberantly colored acrylics and black India ink to compose “Truth Seekers,” the new exhibition he unveiled July 1 at Locust Lane Craft Brewery in Malvern.

No matter the medium, the messages of Hearns’s work remain the same. Love, kindness, virtue, honesty and deep appreciation of the world’s beauty – in all of its varied forms – are themes that Hearns weaves into his art, sometimes subtly, often overtly. It’s not hard to miss or mix messages when Hearns quotes Maya Angelou, Pink Floyd and a variety of other famous wordsmiths. He also uses his own poetry, transforming written words into graphic art.

Hearns is using the Locust Lane installation to showcase new, different work. “It’s all abstract work and without written words,” he said. “The majority are pieces that I haven’t released yet.”

The exception is the original of “Bonded to Compromise,” the piece that hung in the King of Prussia Mall as part of a large-scale installation of BIPOC artists’ work sponsored by Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board and the Arts MontCo initiative.

As for the other pieces, Hearns has been working on them since 2018. “I do them all at once, or in a series, or in whatever kind of flow happens organically,” he explained. “I usually have a number of pieces in different stages of progress.”

The volume and scope of Hearns’ creative output are on full display on his Etsy, Instagram and Facebook pages. But seeing the art in person is a different and engaging experience. The colors pop, the shapes sing and Hearns’ generous, positive vibe is tangible and unmistakable.

The Locust Lane exhibit lasts through September. As the artist-in-residence, Hearns has the option to rotate the work he shows. There’s no doubt that he has more in his studio – and he tends to be even more productive in the summer.

But he’s also gearing up for a solo show at The Lofts at 2^nd & LOMA in Wilmington. Returning to LOMA for the first time since 2017, Hearns will open his month-long show with a First Friday reception on Aug. 5. There, Hearns will show his Birds Of Virtue, musicians series, coasters and the repurposed leather cuffs accented with distinct buckles. “There will be a little bit of everything at LOMA,” Hearns promised. “I’m really looking forward to displaying my work in that creative space.”

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For more on Brian Hearns and other local artists, read about his King of Prussia installation, The Art Trust’s “Outsider Art” exhibit and Alloyius Mcilwaine’s recent show.

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