Aya Brown (b. 1995, Brooklyn, NY) passionately documents her lived experiences as a Black woman, while also delving into the rich history of Black lesbian women and family. Through her art, she actively celebrates their unyielding magnificence, strength, and softness. Brown’s drawings and paintings, often showcased on brown surfaces, reject the imposition of whiteness as a standard or starting point. Instead, they challenge perceptions of visibility and empower blackness and queerness, expanding the forms and forums in which they are presented. Brown’s work embodies an intimate collaboration with her subjects and her own family photo archive. Through this, she radically holds space for the sovereign reclamation of each subject’s image and selfhood. Moreover, her art positions Black women and family as foundational pillars of storytelling, reclaiming narratives and asserting their rightful place in history.