Ted Gram-Boarini
Chicago, IL
“Art is important to society because if you don’t have art, you don’t have freedom.”
Ted Gram-Boarini (he/him/his) is following his family’s creative traditions. His mother is a trained artist and his father plays music in a band - it’s only natural that Ted is both a musician and a painter by trade. He works at The Arts of Life Northshore Studio, where he plays the djembe drum and sings in the band Van Go Go. As a self-identified multidisciplinary artist, Ted’s creative practices are inextricably linked.
Between his family’s connection to the arts and his personal connection to creative expression, making art takes Ted to a unique place. He explains, “I love making art because what art does is it brings out your emotions in a way that speaking doesn’t.” Ted is very thoughtful when it comes to creating new paintings: “I’ve started to draw these pieces of art before I do them. I think it’s changed my work for the better because I’m asking myself how should I do this going forward?” In his paintings, Ted’s use of color plays a dominant role. He explains, “Color is important because each time I paint, color is what drives me to get a great design or great idea.”
Ted is most proud of the work he has done to control his own body. He works on this by attending physical therapy frequently throughout each week. Being able to control his creative expression has brought him a great deal of pride - whether it’s controlling the placement of the acrylic paint with his brush, or hitting his drum in rhythm. Ted considers "mastering control over [his] body" through physical therapy among his greatest personal accomplishments. He elaborates, "If I don't have control, I can't be myself."
