As a child, Bryttney-Mischele Salvant re dreaming, expressing herself, and feeling deeply, as plenty of children do. There’s another, more painful memory, that came along with that — being told “you’re too much.”
“At first, I tried to shrink,” she says. “But I started to lose parts of myself in the process. This show is about reclaiming those parts.”
“Too Much Art for One’s Soul” is a solo exhibition of her work on display at the Bonita Museum May 3 to 5, with opening night activities scheduled from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday, May 3. Salvant, 33, has been teaching art classes there for the past two years, in partnership with The Arc of San Diego. She’s also a community-centered arts educator, coloring book illustrator, poet, mentor, summer art director for the BIPOC Foundation, fellowship manager at New Village Arts, and runs her Poetic Artistry website and business. The show includes a retrospective collection of her work, a short film, live poetry, and interactive art to convey her evolution as an artist. She says it’s a show “for every artist who has ever been told to make themselves smaller. This is proof that we don’t have to.” (This email interview has been edited for length and clarity.)
Q: Why was this art exhibition something you wanted to do?
A: This show is my reclaiming of space. It’s a reflection of my evolution as a person and artist, and a response to a life of being told I needed to shrink, to be less. It gave me an opportunity to tell my story — fully and without apology.
Q: The description of the show says that it “is a reflection on a lifetime of being told to dim one’s light” and that you were often told that you were “too much” when you were growing up. How did that kind of response to you—to being yourself—affect the way you began to see yourself and express yourself?
A: It made me question the value of my voice and creativity. I used to feel like I had to dim my light to be accepted, but when I lost my job in 2020 for painting too much, it was actually a turning point. I said to myself, “I guess I just keep painting.” That was the beginning of reclaiming who I really was.
Q: You’ve said that this show is a way of reclaiming your artistic space, responding to being told to shrink yourself. At what point did you begin to realize that you weren’t “too much”? What did this realization look like for you, this process of reclamation and expansion?
A: It looked like stepping into my full identity. It was learning to value my voice and style, even when it didn’t fit traditional standards. It was about consistently showing up and letting go of the idea that I needed to be smaller to be accepted.
Q: Can you talk about your introduction to visual art?
A: I’ve only taken one art class in high school and a half-semester in college. My skills have been self-taught through grit, experimentation, and love. I actually found painting through makeup. I loved shaping my face and transforming my look. I started using eyeshadow to shade on paper, which eventually led me to acrylic paint.
Q: What was it about this form of creative expression that appealed to you?
A: Painting allowed me to transform. It became a tool for expression and healing. It gave me permission to create new worlds and be fully myself.
Q: Today, you create surreal expressionist art? What does this mean, exactly? What is surreal expressionism?
A: Surreal expressionism is a blend of dreamlike imagery and emotional truth. It’s about creating layered, symbolic visuals that reflect the inner human experience. It allows me to tell stories that words alone can’t express.
Q: What was your introduction to this art form and what is it about creating this kind of art that you enjoy?
A: It felt natural. My thoughts and emotions often exist in abstract forms, and surreal expressionism lets me honor that. It’s freeing, imaginative, and deeply personal.
Q: Your exhibition is “Too Much Art for One’s Soul”; what does this title mean?
A: It’s both a declaration and a challenge. It pushes against the idea that art, or the artist, should be small or manageable. It’s about honoring the overwhelming, beautiful weight of creativity and emotion.
Q: What do you hope people understand, or experience, as a result of attending your show and engaging with your work?
A: I hope they feel seen. I hope they’re reminded they’re not too much. I want them to experience wonder, reflection, and freedom—to step into a space that invites them to be whole.
Q: What has this work taught you about yourself?
A: It’s taught me how to be resilient, but also soft. You don’t need to suffer to make good art—you just need to be present. The process of rediscovering myself through art has brought so much healing.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: “Creation takes courage.” That quote still gives me chills. It reminds me that what I do is both graceful and heavy, loving and painful, and deeply important.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: I’ve never formally studied art; most people assume I have. I’ve built everything I have through self-study and determination.
