Branscom Chavaque is a Guatemalan-born visual artist, writer, and educator based in Des Moines, Iowa. With a background in Physical and Occupational Therapy from Rafael Landívar University, his creative work bridges emotional healing and artistic exploration through painting, photography, and storytelling. His multidisciplinary practice reflects on resilience, mental health, and cultural identity, expressed through intuitive marks, poetic symbolism, and dreamlike imagery.

In 2022, Branscom founded Abstracto & Pigmento, an independent art gallery and studio space in Chimaltenango, Guatemala. There, he curated exhibitions, organized community art events, and taught creative workshops that fostered art exploration and self-expression. His commitment to visual storytelling earned him third place in the 2023 National Youth Council (CONJUVE) Photography Contest in Guatemala.

Now a Teaching Artist at a premier Midwestern art museum, Branscom continues to expand his international presence through exhibitions such as Momentos (2022), Ixil: Belleza Persistente (2024), Diálogos (Cultural Center of Visual Arts of Guatemala, 2024), and group shows at Mainframe Studios, the Des Moines Art Center, and the Iowa City Public Library (2025).

He is also the author of Mandala & Patterns Coloring Book (2018), My Little Garden (2022), Han Dicho: Prosas de un pretérito perfecto (2022), My First Artist’s Book (2022), and The Marionette and the Puppeteer (2025). Through his work, Branscom continues to merge art and empathy — transforming personal experience into collective reflection and creating spaces where healing and imagination coexist.

The Feed Journal: A look into the past