Dani Brews: Bridging Music, Emotion, and Art in a Vibrant Creative Journey

Dani Brews, a Bronx native with a lifelong passion for art, has always been driven by a desire to express her inner world through her creative works. From a young age, Dani found joy in art, seeing it as not only a personal escape but also a way to connect with others. Even as she navigates a career in the banking industry, her artistic dreams remain at the forefront of her mind, guiding her on an exciting journey to expand her creative horizons and share her vision with the world.

Her artistic journey began as a young student, eagerly diving into art projects at school, relishing the chance to showcase her creativity. Over the years, her work evolved from simple doodles to deeply expressive drawings and animations, reflecting the emotions and perspectives she experiences. By 2018, she recognized that her art had become more than a hobby—it had transformed into a powerful tool of communication, allowing her to convey feelings and ideas that words couldn’t capture. For Dani, art is not just about creation; it's about forging connections with others, inviting viewers to explore the world through her eyes.

Music plays a crucial role in Dani’s creative process, with her playlists serving as the soundtrack to her artistic endeavors. Whether she’s drawing inspiration from her favorite genre, alternative rock, or curating a mix of eclectic sounds, she finds that music helps her enter a "zone" where her ideas flow effortlessly onto the canvas. Her artwork often feels like a visual representation of the emotions and stories she experiences while listening to music, making each piece an immersive and multidimensional creation.

Dani’s semi-realistic style blends vivid, bubbly colors with introspective themes, creating art that captures attention while encouraging deeper reflection. Her influences range from the whimsical oddities of Salvador Dali to the life-affirming messages in Hayao Miyazaki’s films. While her work often evokes feelings of joy or nostalgia, it also hints at the complexities of modern life, reminding viewers that not everything is as simple as it seems. Dani embraces the imperfections in her art, recognizing that even the "mistakes" contribute to the final piece's meaning.

Though Dani has yet to collaborate with other artists, she is open to the idea and draws inspiration from the works of visionary creators like Miyazaki, Dali, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Her unique approach has garnered attention at various exhibitions, including events curated by Startshows in Tribeca and Cannavita's Gallery Nights in Astoria, where she debuted her first minute-long animation. She’s also excited to participate in the Pancakes and Booze event in Brooklyn, one of North America's largest pop-up art exhibitions.

Looking to the future, Dani is currently working on her Inktober 2024 series, a daily challenge that pushes her to explore new ideas and techniques each day. She’s also envisioning a mural project that would bring some of her most iconic pieces, such as Gems at 1am and Party Trick, to life on a larger scale.

Artist Q&A with OA When did you start as an artist? Where did you start out?  Like most artists, I found my love for art at a young age. In school, whenever I heard ‘art project!’ or ‘illustration is optional’, I would love to get right on it, not only because I get to draw my way to an A but also presenting my projects to my friends made all the work worth it. Art is my escape to satisfy myself during the process and in return satisfy others with the results. I slowly started to pursue art more professionally around 2018. I noticed that my drawings and doodles began to bring out deeper feelings. Art became more than a passion. For me, art is like communicating — I can express myself better by drawing than by trying to find the right words to say. Whenever someone describes to me their interpretations of my work and the similar or contrasting emotions they feel when they view it, I’m like “yes!” Because I feel like my ways of communicating work. 

What was your main source of inspiration to pursue a career in art? One of the biggest source of inspiration to start animating was Gorillaz. I watched MTV as a kid and their music videos were just too good. I thought, “oh, I wanna do that.” Also, I love just incorporating music with art too. I would definitely say music inspires me very heavily. I’ve never created a piece I was proud of without a good curated playlist to go along with it. My go-to genre is alternative rock but if you see my playlist, I got it all.  If I get those chills like when a hammer hits the gong and it vibrates all over the cymbal (that’s how i’ll feel) then it’s added to my playlist. If you’ve ever watched Disney Pixar’s Soul, that zone state they depict is accurate to how i feel when I’m both drawing and listening to music. Going into the zone happens in two ways for me, either i listen to a song and I’m immersed into my own head and this music video plays… like what I’m creating in my head was made for this song. (And i would love to collaborate with these songwriters because I’m just thinking, do they think of this?) And i write it down in my notes when I’m back to reality. Eventually i play the song again (sometimes on repeat), sit down, grab some references and start drawing away. The other way is when I’m already sketching or doodling while zoning out then i take a second to focus what I’m drawing and think “wait this looks good”. I’d then dive into my music playlist and think, what am i feeling, what do i want this little sketch to make me feel, what do i want others to feel and i search endlessly until i find that ding noise in my head when i got the right song to pair the sketch with. I would continue sketching and go into my zone. The first way usually happens when I’m on commute and the second one is when I’m at work during break. When i have a complete piece, i take my time editing my instagram story so that the song i was listening to and the timelapse of my artwork sync up and portray like a quick rundown of my zone process. Hopefully when people see it, they feel a similar emotion. 

Which artists do you collaborate with or draw inspiration from?

I’ve yet collaborated with someone but I am definitely open to the idea! I would say Hayao Miyazaki because of his views on life and how heavily its depicted in his movies and Salvador Dali because of the whimsicalness and slight oddity of his works. I do like me some Basquiat too - so a mash up of those artists.

Do you have a distinct style or theme in your work? If so, how would you describe it? It’s funny how someone described my art as “feel good” art to which i replied, “Like Gorillaz’s Feel Good? If so, then perfect.“ My art has an introspective approach. My artwork definitely has a semi-realistic style which reflects the combo between my imagination and the world around me. And i do like using vivid, bubbly colors and bring bright and fun ideas to my work which may catch some eyes. But even though my art may evoke that feel-goodness, i encourage people to take a second look deeper and understand that not everything is as it seems. At this chapter of my life, I do feel a lil jaded with a lot of things in the world and it may appear in my art — which is fine, we’re all human if not a little jaded. And everything is intentional, even the mistakes, and the titles of my work. 

Where can people view or purchase your artwork?

You can view my array of pieces on my instagram page: @danibrewss. I share nice stories where I doodle during my lunch breaks. I have highlight reels of all the previous Inktober’s I’ve participated in, as well as a “How I Do” highlight reel - I show stop motion videos that shows the whole process of an artwork from start to finish. 

I also launched a website this summer, (yay!), danibrewstea.com. You can look for upcoming events I’ll participate in, read about me, see where I’m featured in the art community and of course, shop for your favorite art print of Dani Brews! I recommend finding a good tea to sip on while you’ll visit because i have a feeling you’ll be there for a while. 

What are some of the most recent exhibitions or shows you’ve participated in?

I’ve recently participated in two events in Tribeca curated by Startshows. Many artists from different backgrounds in one place! ‘Twas my cup of tea. I also participated in Cannavita’s Gallery Nights in Astoria [curated by Ovono Agency!]. The vibes were definitely there and I just felt good to be a part of it and not to mention, debut my first minute long animation there! I’ll also be in a Pancakes and Booze event in Brooklyn- North America’s largest pop-up art exhibition. Pancakes, Booze, and art… that’s a good time. 

What projects are you currently working on or have planned for the near future?

I’m currently working on my Inktober 2024 series. I can’t wait to see what I come up with! It’s a day by day project, so i won’t know what I’ll have until the day of! I’ll definitely be around NY, participating in many other events, just contributing to the art community, as well as out-of-state art events in the works, wink-wink. Near future, I am envisioning a mural project with one of the known Dani Brews pieces, like Gems at 1am or Party Trick. 

How can people stay updated on your latest work and follow your journey? Instagram and my website! I’ve been posting more often on instagram and I update my website weekly. @danibrewss and danibrewstea.com. 

When you visit, I promise you’ll have fun with some art and decide to take some home for yourself - keep the art alive!

With a fearless dedication to her craft and a desire to continually push her artistic boundaries, Dani Brews is well on her way to becoming a true jack-of-all-trades in the art world. From animation and murals to gallery exhibitions, her future looks as vibrant and dynamic as the art she creates.