Bernard Morille’s vibrant artwork leaned against the foot of the walls at the Gallery @ SUNY Broome, as library staff began to mount them for the exhibit.
The images captured the eye with their stunning detail: A woman with an elaborate headwrap, rendered in charcoal. The haunting eyes of National Geographic’s famous Afghan Girl. Paintings of the historic Inebriate Asylum – know as the Castle – at the Greater Binghamton Health Center. Vibrant sunflowers in a vase.
“I like to see myself improve,” the SUNY Broome alumnus reflected. “Everything I finish, I try to do better. That’s my motivation.”
The exhibit at the Gallery – which runs through Oct. 31 – is Morille’s second show; he previously showcased his work at Binghamton’s Whole in the Wall Restaurant for the city’s First Friday celebration.
Originally from the Caribbean island of St. Lucia, Bernard Morille moved to Brooklyn at the age of 11, and attended Mahalia Jackson Middle School and George Wingate High School.
After high school, Bernard moved to Binghamton and attended SUNY Broome, where he majored in Liberal Arts and played on the men’s basketball team. While at Broome, he reignited his lifelong love for drawing after taking a beginning drawing course. He later transferred to Buffalo State College and graduated in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in Fine Art. A year after graduation, he moved back to the Binghamton area and began working at the Greater Binghamton Health Center.
When he’s not at work, he is creating art – mostly oil painting and pencil drawing, although he has also finished a series of charcoal drawings.
Morille has been working on art his entire life, he said, although his interest sparked new life through his courses at SUNY Broome. The opportunity to exhibit his work at his alma mater is, in essence, coming full circle.
“It’s gratifying to see where I came from and where I’m going,” he said.
The Gallery @ SUNY Broome is located on the first floor of the Cecil C. Tyrell Library. The exhibit of Bernard Morille’s work runs through Oct. 31.
Tags: Alumni, Liberal Arts Division, Profile
