Bio
Bijijoo (given name: Michael Todd Horne; nickname/preferred name: B) was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1975 and has lived in New York City; Seattle, Washington; and Eugene, Oregon. B currently resides in Portland, Oregon with his wife and daughter.
B has been painting and drawing since childhood. He has experimented with figurative, abstract and conceptual work in a variety of media, including writing, music and video. B diverged from art practice to pursue technical studies in mathematics, physics, computer science and chemistry, culminating in a Ph.D. in biophysics in 2008. He then returned to painting by creating several series of surrealist works, including The Presidential Ham, Celebrity Still Life, and The Arthropod Companion. After pausing to remodel an old house and become a father, he began resetting his painting practice in 2018. B’s current work draws on his technical background in math, science and computer programming, as well as his young daughter’s imagination and love of monsters.
https://www.instagram.com/bijijoo/
Statement
Bijijoo’s paintings result from process-driven experimentation with painting media and automatic drawing, using traditional and digital techniques. He builds mixed media layers to amplify interplays of light, color, and texture. Images are conjured from chaos, in a process akin to divination. The forms that take shape trend toward human and animal: grotesque exaggerations of life, monstrous cartoons, vanitas. Narratives emerge through these interactions, reflecting struggle, celebration, and introspection. The results depict experiences, interactions, and movements frozen in a personal space and time.
My art practice is my way of navigating life, working through issues, and making some sense out of my world. If I don’t make art, I feel lost. Having and exploring creative pursuits is very important to me and my hope is that my work inspires other to be creative in their own ways too.
What main topic does your artwork address and why?
The starting point of my art is often some chaotic process, like random paint flows, thoughtless scribblings, etc. I then finesse that chaos to bring out imagery that makes sense to me; so, my work is really about self-discovery and making sense from senselessness.
In your artistic journey, what has been the most challenging point thus far?
My biggest challenge is overthinking stuff. I think it’s good to do some idea development and concept planning, but too much of that can lead to not actually making anything. I've found it to be very important to dive in and make stuff and become comfortable with failure. So much growth can happen that way.
Is there an aspect of your life that especially impacts your practice?
My biggest inspiration is my daughter (she is 5 years old). After a long break in my art practice, her creativity and outlook reignited joy and freedom in making art for me.
What do you do when you find yourself at a creative block?
Take a break: get outside, do some physical stuff, spend time with those I love. I always come back to drawing too. Drawing is key to my practice: doodling, sketching, exploring. My sketchbooks always provide fodder for what’s next in my work.
