Cohort 1/3

Brittany MonÁ

Guidance, 2023

“Combining elements of neo- expressionism, graffiti, and African art, I create abstract mixed-media images, sculptures, and collages of the Black diaspora to celebrate, uplift, and communicate complex emotions of Blackness. My practice is rooted in expressing communal and transformative experiences of Black Americans with an emphasis on ancestral practices and lineages. Using a variety of mediums such as photography, clay, spray paint, wood, digital art, and acrylics, I redefine people, objects, scenery, feelings, and statements, allowing room for multiple perspectives. I use patterns, lines, shapes, and symbols throughout my pieces to pay homage to my ancestors, reproducing familiar visual and aural signs and arranging them in new conceptually layered installations.”

Karla Bussey, Goodwiggle Studios LLC

Break Free, 2023

Break Free is a looping animation that conveys the concept of breaking free in one's mind when one is unable to break free physically. It is a depiction of the average person who is trying to escape reality (typically through consumable content like music, books, or video). It is my goal to empower the viewer with the idea that one can completely free themselves with the power of their mind.

Jordan Brown

Transformerz, 2022

The "Transformerz" music video is a collaboration between musician Kala and the Lost Tribe (@kalaandthelosttribe) and visual artist Jordan Brown (@jupiter.brown). In our pandemic-era virtual process (Kala is based in Brooklyn and I was living in Montreal at the time), we spoke about returning to land and remembering our Afro-indigeneity, and our weekly talks became an experiment in dreaming up our past-future selves. What emerged was a kaleidoscopic journey through multiple dreamscapes, eventually taking to the sky to find a new planet home.

Sydney Buffalow, Cr8tion Rebel

Moon Mama, 2023

As a sustainable artist, I am driven by a deep connection to materials and design processes that transcend the ordinary. I have a passion for materials and design processes that evoke the emotions and feelings associated with transformation, rebirth, and sustainability.

One of my recent artistic endeavors is the "MOON MAMA" digital collage series. In this collection, I incorporate African wax fabric and vintage African photos of women into a lunar and celestial narrative. These pieces represent a harmonious fusion of tradition, culture, and cosmic wonder, inviting viewers to explore themes of rebirth and transformation.