‘Reparations’ A Provocative Collection by Ivan Brens
History is filled with conquest, bloodshed, and exploitation. The winners write the history books, often omitting the atrocities of the…
History is filled with conquest, bloodshed, and exploitation. The winners write the history books, often omitting the atrocities of the past. Multifaceted artist Ivan Brens is on a mission to right these wrongs with his thought-provoking art.
Ivan’s latest collection, ‘Reparations’ will be released on Jan 14 on Blind Boxes. His powerful artwork explores the reparation of past atrocities and calls for equality and justice for the colonized countries and their minorities.
This is the second collection the artist has released on Blind Boxes. The first, The Resistance Collection, taps into similar themes using bold vibrant strokes.
About the artist
Ivan was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, where he began his artistic pursuits as a child. A self-taught painter, he experimented with various mediums before formally studying photography and printmaking at the University of Massachusetts, and sculpture at Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.
Since then, Ivan’s work has been exhibited at various noteworthy galleries and venues across the United States. His collections ‘New Doors’, ‘Rhythm and Blues’, ‘Mystic Air’, and ‘Sound of Lust’ stand out among his impressive body of work.
Reparation US
One of the pieces in the collection is called Reparation US. It sheds new light on the US $5 bill, portraying the history of slavery and oppression in America. The artwork features an African American in chains as a slave aside President Abraham Lincoln, with the fist of the black power movement in the background. The image can be displayed upside down, to symbolize the Native Americans who have fought for their rights.
Reparation Europe
Another powerful piece in the collection is Reparation Europe. It is a €500 bill that illustrates 500 years of European colonialism.
The bill features a Native American’s face replacing the building image, as Europeans built their wealth on the exploitation of slaves and other resources. The feather on the bill symbolizes the need to change. The fish on the bill symbolizes poverty and what’s left behind by the conqueror.
Ivan’s powerful artwork calls for justice for those who have been victims of exploitation and violence. His work is a powerful reminder that history should never be forgotten.
Ivan joins artists like Itsvolpart, Barbsie, Eva Milkaa, and many others on Blind Boxes. To explore works from these talented artists, visit Blind Boxes.
Related Post
About Blind Boxes
Blind Boxes is a gamified curation platform and launchpad for NFTs (non-fungible tokens). This highly scalable dApp enables brands and creators to diversify their revenue streams, increase the liquidity of their creative assets, and become leaders in decentralized global economies while engaging fans and buyers to discover and collect rare, limited edition NFTs.
Via the Blind Boxes Marketplace, buyers experience the thrill of time-released curated NFT collections. Collectors virtually unbox exclusive items, curated by tastemakers across art, music, sports, and entertainment. Curation is at the core of our value proposition. The platform offers a commission structure that incentivizes independent contributors to curate blind box collections that feature top-tier talent, emerging artists, and designers from around the world.
Official Project Links
Website | Telegram | $BLES Official Trading Group | Twitter | Discord | Instagram | Github | LinkedIn
