A Brush with Heritage

Thomas ‘Breeze’ Marcus, a muralist, painter, and digital artist, was born and raised on the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, east of Scottsdale. Today, he is based in Phoenix, where he passionately channels his Akimel and Tohono O'odham cultural heritage through his art. His murals, acrylic paintings, and pen and ink drawings, with their interlocking geometric designs inspired by coil-woven baskets, serve as a powerful testament to his deep connection to his cultural roots.

Initially, Breeze, as an adolescent, began his artistic journey through the quick and expressive gestures of graffiti art. As he grew older, more experienced, and increasingly grounded in conveying a message, he began painting with acrylics, moving his imagery toward incorporating bold, graphic imagery most often found in the art objects of his cultural heritage. Breeze says, “One of the important aspects of the Akimel and Tohono O’odham history for me is being inspired by older art that has been produced. Much of my inspiration comes from typography, the background, and the intensity of involvement in that medium and subculture. I believe newer artists who are new to public and mural art may not necessarily know." Breeze remembers, "Creating art with a message took a toll because we were creating unsanctioned works and risking our lives and freedom to be heard."

Breeze reflects back to those "hard knock" days with a story from high school. He wanted to become an artist, which meant getting paid for his work. To accomplish the task, he asked a local venue if they would commission him to do a mural on one of their interior walls. The owner took the young man up on his idea, agreeing to pay for materials, and asked Breeze and his friend how much they wanted to be paid. The boys settled on one hundred dollars each and thought they were on top of the world. Looking back, Breeze laughs, "We got robbed, not knowing our worth." The experience and many other learning instances shaped him into a creative, well-known artist with a whole lot more business sense.

Today, Breeze’s voice is coming through loud and clear in his murals across the valley. His legacy is represented in the astonishingly intricate art he creates, and the way color, shape, and cultural design elements come together to create timeless stories expressing his cultural and personal identity. As a full-time, well-known artist, Breeze is known for his enthusiasm for applying his techniques to new and creative forms. He continues to push the envelope with various mediums, such as ceramics, as well as exploring digital art and developing projection mapping. The inspiration for his visual storytelling comes from recurring shapes and symbols of traditional pottery, basketry, and landscapes of his youth.

He calls the process "They are hardwired into my DNA." Through time, Breeze understood that the shapes and symbols he used also occurred across continents and cultures, culminating in vast universal themes. Regardless of placement or size, Breeze is a master at expanding and contracting his intricate patterns to create unique and innovative storytelling artwork. Most importantly, he is a master of incorporating the "old" motifs with the "new" for a modern look. In this way, he feels he is able to speak clearly to the youth of his community while making connections to his elders. In many ways, Breeze is an image weaver of traditions that merge into one complete and balanced whole.

Artist Thomas Breeze Marcus exhibits at the Phoenix Airport Museum located at Sky Harbor International Airport. He is well known for exploring issues related to contemporary Native Americans, such as cultural preservation, identity, and social justice, in his work in his large-scale murals, as public art, and his studio painting. Recently, he completed a three-wall wrap-around mural at Western Spirit, Scottsdale Museum of the West. Called Woven from the Womb, this piece symbolizes the birth of the coyote, a significant figure in Native American mythology, through the merger of the Sun and the Moon. Blue Rain Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, represents Breeze. In addition to his gallery representation, his work has been seen in Arizona Highways Magazine, Southwest Contemporary News, the Arizona Historical Society, the Heard Museum, in the Substance of Stars exhibit, and S’edav Va’aki Museum in Phoenix, Arizona, as well as downtown Phoenix's Roosevelt Row Arts District and beyond.

Email: breezephx@gmail.com

Website: www.blueraingallery.com/artists/thomas-breeze-marcus