This is the first edition of our on-going artist series, “Friends of Werehaus,” which features the creative community surrounding WEREHAUS. “Friends of Werehaus: Brendan Monroe,” takes us across the bay to visit an Oakland based illustrator/artist whose work has been featured in Juxtapoz, Complex (to name a few) and solo/group shows in and around San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York & Europe. We were introduced to Brendan at POW! WOW! HAWAII! 2014 and managed to stay on island vibes with him once we returned to the mainland. Soon after Hawaii, Brendan found himself traveling and painting again for POW! WOW! TAIWAN! amongst familiar faces: APEX, MADSTEEZ, INSA, Kamea, Aaron De La Cruz, James Jean, Reach, as well as many others. It was refreshing to meet in an unfamiliar place, and then re-connect on our home turf in the Bay Area. To see Brendan in his own environment, reminded us about the daily grind we all go through as creatives. At the end of the day, it’s less about the art and murals, but about the friendships that live beyond the walls.
Brendan & Glenn Hall / Hawaii 2014
A few weeks ago, we took the afternoon off to pay a visit to our neighbor – who resides in a quiet neighborhood of Oakland. We split a couple beers between the three of us, had a chat with Jalapeño – the cat, and poked our nose around his home studio, which he shares with his wife Evah. As we snooped around the apartment for an interview and random tchotchkes, Brendan shared with us about his daily routine and his inspiration behind his drawings.
Morning Rituals / Hawaii, 2014
