Iona Rozeal Brown was born in 1966 in Washington and since 2005 has been living and working in Chillum / Maryland. She paints vivid images of ancient Japanese subjects, but with a twist. Her courtesans and geisha wear cornrows, afros and Adidas.
Iona Rozeal Brown’s work departs from the conventions of Ukiyo-e prints and the signs of hip hop culture. Recognizable brand names such as Burberry, Adidas, Crystal Champagne, as well as hairstyles and gestures, are taken from their original context and transposed within the visual language of the Japanese prints of the 19th century. Brown’s work departs from the global phenomenon that Hip Hop has become. She addresses this fact not as merely musical but more significantly as cultural. The underlying question in her work seems to be “What happens to Black culture if it is no longer black?”
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