#42 – How Can Art Help Us Reclaim the Joys of Childhood? | Elijah Trice - The Truth In This Art: Stories That Matter

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#42 – How Can Art Help Us Reclaim the Joys of Childhood? | Elijah Trice

June 19, 2025 • 64 mins

Baltimore-based artist and designer Elijah Trice returns to talk about growth, storytelling, and painting the everyday with dignity and joy.

Since our last conversation in 2022, Elijah has expanded his practice beyond hyperrealistic portraiture to explore themes of childhood memory and creative freedom. We recorded this just after his first solo show, Nothing Else Matters, which followed a transformative residency at Maryland Hall. Elijah shares how his architectural training shaped his painting style, what he’s learning from teaching, and why joy is radical in a world so often defined by struggle.

How building furniture sparked a deeper connection to making
Using vivid backgrounds and saturated color to honor Black elegance
Tapping into nostalgia, storytelling, and his inner child
The pros and cons of meticulous planning vs improvising in the studio
Why nothing else matters—except the subject

🎧 Catch Elijah’s 2022 episode for more on his early work and evolution as an artist.

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production:

Produced by Rob Lee & Daniel Alexis
Edited by Daniel Alexis
Show Notes courtesy of Rob Lee and Transistor

Photos:

Rob Lee photos by Vicente Martin for The Truth In This Art and Contrarian Aquarian Media.
Guest photos courtesy of the guest, unless otherwise noted.

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