Joel Brotman's artworks reflect a journey of self-inquiry, vulnerability, and emotional resonance. Joel’s figures often stand alone, partially abstracted or split, yet grounded in color-rich environments filled with symbolic weight -- windows, flowers, shadows, and echoes of memory. His palette is bold, his lines raw and honest, suggesting both internal fragmentation and deep presence.

At its core, Joel’s work is an expressive endeavor, a means of making sense of things when language falls short. As he puts it, "Creating gives me direction and weight and power.” The result is a collection of work that invites the viewer to sit with ambiguity, confront emotion, and witness a creative spirit unwilling to be dimmed.

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About Joel Brotman

After a 15-year career as a financial futures trader, Joel Brotman sought a more meaningful path rooted in connection, introspection, and healing. Inspired in part by the transformative power of therapy in his own life, he returned to school to earn a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Chicago. For the past 25 years, Joel has worked as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and practicing therapist, helping others navigate the complexities of the human experience.

Joel began painting at a very young age, focusing on painting the figure and self-portraits (several of which will be included in his show). A few years ago, Joel was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Rather than diminish him, the diagnosis ignited a new creative chapter, one that led him to artmaking as a way to process, express, and explore. What began as a personal outlet has grown into a prolific and deeply felt artistic practice.