About
Born in 1984, Ted Gram-Boarini joined the Arts of Life in 2012. For Gram-Boarini, it is impossible to speak exclusively about visual, musical or performance arts, as there is no definitive boundary. When creating or performing, one practice inevitably bleeds into the other. This innate interest in music manifests in the rhythmic strokes of his works and the dynamic energy of his color palettes.
“As a professional artist I think, “What does anybody hope to achieve?” I want to make art that is real. When I’m working on a specific type of art I want to make sure that it’s coming out real instead of what I consider not real—which is kind of fake.”
Gram-Boarini is a prolific maker who draws inspiration from music and movies and interprets them into acrylic paintings on canvas. He layers color in his work reveal a complex web of emotions.
“What mood am I feeling today and how can I be able to show that in the type of painting I’m doing? I feel awesome and all these different moods are real to me. It’s like happy, dark, cool…you know. It’s a part of becoming the artist. Going inside of the painting myself and figuring out where I want to take it.”
Gram-Boarini is a singer for the studio band, Van Go Go. He is also a member of the studio’s curating team. His art has been featured on Arts of Life merchandise including the 2019 calendar, two different poetry books, and on Arts of Life partner site, ArtLifting.com. He was also interviewed on-camera by WGN news in 2018.
Selected Exhibits
Slow Read
Circle Contemporary, Chicago, IL - 2019
Winter Glow
Circle Contemporary, Glenview, IL - 2019
Permanent Collection
The Waisman Foundation, Madison, WI - 2017
Carson's Furniture Gallery
Wilmette, IL - 2017
The Instrument of my Hands
Over The Rainbow Gallery, Evanston, IL - 2016
