Aya Brown

Aya Brown (b. 1995, Brooklyn, NY) presents a new series of paintings rooted in the representation of Black community experience in New York City. Known for her 2020 ‘Essential Workers Series,’ Brown works from family photographs, personal archives, and people within her immediate circles, approaching portraiture through intimacy and familiarity. Her work pushes against the historic flattening and exclusion of Black lesbian life, creating space for complexity, humor, tenderness, and self-representation. With precision and care, Brown transforms everyday moments into intimate records of presence, family, and community.