'Oil paint has its own temperament-its own way of resisting, yielding and surprising-and I work with those qualities to uncover the quiet importance of ordinary things. A cup, a shadow, a piece of fruit: these simple subjects become places where the paint can reveal more than the object, showing moments of stillness, tension and presence hidden in plain sight.'
Bran Sivas is a British painter whose work grows from a deep fascination with the quiet drama of everyday objects, the nuance of the human figure, and the stories that settle into a face. Working primarily in oils, he uses the language of still life and portraiture to explore structure, observation, and the subtle tension between what is seen and what is felt.
His paintings evolve from strong drawing and a commitment to clear underlying form. Yet, once that structure is in place, Bran allows the image to breathe—letting edges soften, marks remain visible, and certain shapes be suggested rather than fully defined. This openness invites viewers to participate in the painting, filling in the spaces that he intentionally leaves unresolved.
A central part of Bran’s process is the way he uses the transparency and opacity of oil paint. Surfaces shift between delicate veils of colour and assertive, graphic passages, giving each work a layered sense of depth and an unfolding technical narrative. He often combines direct alla prima brushwork with quieter, more built-up areas, allowing the journey of the painting to remain present in the final image.
Whether he is exploring the curve of a shoulder, the fall of light across domestic objects, or the quiet intensity of a face, Bran’s work reflects an ongoing dialogue between precision and restraint—between clarity, memory, and suggestion. His paintings aim not only to represent, but to reveal the emotional and structural rhythms that lie beneath the surface of what we see.