Awareness Post: Hilary Brace
- Oct 15, 2025
- 2 min read
Born in 1956 Seattle, Hilary Brace is an artist who works withe the medium of charcoal on matte polyester film. Currently residing in California, Brace has had a very decorated career. With an education in both BFA and MFA painting from Western Washington State University, as well as University of California, Brace has developed a detailed background in the arts.
Brace often uses the process of subtraction when creating her work with charcoal. In this process she commonly uses "dry mediums" like charcoal powder to create shapes from erasing. With this medium she creates surreal landscapes, with incredible usage of layering tones and utilizing contrast. I found her usage of subtraction incredible and very appealing, especially with the level of realism Brace is able to accomplish throughout her landscapes.
Below are Brace's website, awards, shows, and some of my reactions to her pieces:
Galleries and Representations:
Craig Krull Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.
Public collections, such as: Boise Art Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and Western Washington State University Museum.
Awards and Honors Brace has received:
2023 Ucross Artist Residency
2006 Guggenheim Fellowship
2005 & 1997 Pollock-Krasner Foundation grants
2003 California Arts Council Fellowship
1993 National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship
Solo and Group shows from the past 7 years:
Solo:
2022 Craig Krull Gallery Santa Monica, CA
2019 Moorpark College Art Gallery Moorpark, CA
2018 Craig Krull Gallery Santa Monica, CA
Group:
2024 Portraits of Sky Boise Art Museum, Boise, ID
2023 Uncharted Terrain: Imagined Landscapes with David Eddington & Astrid Preston Vita Art Center, Ventura, CA
2020 Jason McCoy Gallery, New York – Drawing Challenge XV and XII New York, on-line & physical aspects
2019 Women on the Rise (four artists) Vita Art Center, Ventura, CA
2018 Ahead in the Clouds Sullivan Goss Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
This piece on the left was my first exposure to some of Brace's landscapes. The amount of surrealism featured in her works while still maintaining this level of realism is just incredible to me. Especially considering the medium she works with, it has made me appreciate Brace's works more and more. Also with this surrealism, comes a mix of feelings I can only describe as either slightly scary from the scope and unfamiliarity with the landscape, or tranquil and relaxing. I have also come to appreciate the level of consistency brace features throughout her works, consistently keeping this theme and style that can be easily credited as her own. Brace has an incredible imagination and ability of transcribing this imagination into something perceivable almost as a dream. Below are two other works that I was fond of.
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