Brian Mashburn - Black Rainbow

About

Black Rainbow marks Brian Mashburn’s fourth solo exhibition with Beinart Gallery. Created in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which devastated western North Carolina, the series reflects the sudden transformation of Mashburn’s home landscape in Asheville. Opening reception: Saturday, May 24th, 5 - 8 pm. Drinks will be provided by our friends at Stomping Ground Brewing Co., Fin Wines and Cré Wines. This exhibition will run from May 25th - Jun 15th 2025 and will coincide with Nom Kinnear King's Lucidia’s Dust , Audrey Benjaminsen's Flora and Fae , and the group exhibition , Dark Art 2025 . During Hurricane Helene, massive swaths of the city were wiped out overnight—countless trees downed, the horizon reshaped, and basic infrastructure like power, communication, and potable water lost for weeks. In his words, “It felt like I had stepped into one of my own paintings.” Navigating this chaos while caring for a young child brought an added emotional weight, sharpening the instinct to protect while grappling with the need to process. From this experience emerged a quieter, more reflective body of work. Though still rich in atmosphere and allegory, these paintings adopt a more open composition and a deeper, more saturated palette. The title Black Rainbow captures the central paradox—beauty wrapped in darkness, resilience forged through upheaval. While rooted in a deeply personal moment, the work speaks to a universal rhythm: the tension between collapse and renewal, and the unexpected glimmers of the sublime that can rise from disaster. Brian Mashburn is an American artist based in the mountains of North Carolina. He studied at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving a BFA in 2002. Brian's work depicts urban and industrial landscapes in close proximity to the natural world. Primarily an oil painter, Mashburn uses narrative and meticulous attention to detail to engage the viewer. His work is informed by everyday observations and an interest in history, na