The year might have just started, but multifaceted artist and entrepreneur Maurice Perdreau is already taking the NYC art scene by storm.  In January alone, Maurice has set out to change the world’s interpretation of finger painting.  Since August 2014, Perdreau’s awe-inspiring, completely hand-done compositions have been seen New York Fashion Week, RAW Artists Brooklyn and now at New Century Artists exhibition in Chelsea (with a major opening reception tonight) with an upcoming exhibit and Soho cruise for RAW Artists on Wednesday, January 21.

Maurice developed an affinity for paint while attending law school at Georgetown University, which he describes as “the first thing I ever really struggled with.”  He later attended computer science classes at Harvard, around the same time a famed art curator offered Perdreau residencies at galleries in New Mexico and Poland.

Lately, the entrepreneur begins his day at 4am, attributing his completely rapid success in art to a diversified (and rather challenging) educational background.

It is impressive how your art has, quite literally, just started coming together since August.  So many would ask.. How did you do it?! 

Maurice Predreau: I began with an ineresting art training. Most people who take art classes learn to be deriviative, they learn how to copy. In four short art classes, my professor would reject art that was not truly original.  Several of my works were rejected and I actually stopped taking the classes as a result!  That is when I went to law school instead.

I continued painting all throughout law school and held small art shows in my apartment in Cleveland at the time. To this day, I still paint with my finger (but wear latex gloves now).

 

When did you officially decide to build a business of art? 

Around 2010 is when i really began my entrepreneurship. I figured I could do my business of law and continue painting.  I didn’t really know if my work was good or not, but it received positive response from just about everyone who saw it.  Art gives me a chance to unplug from the normal world, and I adore it.

One of an artists’ biggest challenges is exposure. How did you get your work in front of a curators’ eyes?

The book Goals: How to Get Everything You Want by Brian Tracy changed my life. The book encouraged me to write down my daily goals, which led to me showing my art online and finally to an art gallery in my hometown of Beacon. Out of the five galleries in Beacon, the first one I went to I was handed a contract. Most other galleries wanted traditional paintings, but that was not what I wanted to do.

November of 2013 I had my first exhibition in Beacon. It lasted until March 2013 do to its popularity. A curator who entered the gallery loved my work and took me under her wing, encouraging me to travel and also visit two galleries in Chelsea NYC. By late June, I decided I would become an artist full time. It didn’t make any sense, but with every step I have succeeded.

Now that you have accomplished the gallery goal.. what are your aspirations for future work?

To be in the Whitney Museum, who takes 15 artists every year to exhibit. That is my goal for 2015. I may not have the formal art training,but my professional resume in art speaks for itself. I am also getting back into singing and music – artist extraordinaire!

I had been a creative at J Records, the label owned by Clive Davis while in law school. It showed me I have some potential in music and encourages me to discover the rest of my talents. Acting is also a possibility for the future, but that is a long term goal.

I am also in the process of writing a book, How to Become a Historical Figure.

What else sets you apart from other artists?

Many artists may choose to skip college, or at least not have the business expertise. I have been through several different levels of education and business worlds. Although I always gravitated back to my artistic life, i am lucky to possess the knowledge needed for business and entrepreneurship.

Do you put together your website and apps?

I recently coded an app that will be on the market in the future. I took a coding class at Harvard University which helped me to create several apps.

What is your daily routine?

I wake by 4am and start work at 5am. Beginning at 5, rather than 9am gives me a head start of about 26 extra weeks of productivity per year. Luckily I love this stuff, so a 12-hour day not so hard as it seems!

Do any famous artists significantly inspire you?

Jackson Pollock is one artist who painted with his subconscious mind. I really admire that. My own paintings are a product of my own subconscious mind, inspired by yoga or my feelings at the time. My art is not something I could plan or configure with a mundane, or conscious mind.

See more work and updates at MauricePerdreau.com