Sanah 's profile
Sanah Brown-Bowers, a self-taught artist, focuses primarily on portraying the Black American experience in her work. Centering her nuclear family, she tells stories of Black joy and nostalgic experiences from the 80s, weaving together pop art, fantasy, and her whimsical imagination. Her intricately detailed acrylic and oil paintings are often showcased within family altars, functioning as shadowboxes that include found artifacts related to her subjects. Through her art, Sanah honors living relatives and addresses legacies lost through the stripping away of identity due to enslavement. She employs symbolism to restore hope to a race of people whose history has been forgotten, needing restoration and affirmation.
Sanah's artistic journey began over 15 years ago, sparked by her profound fascination with portrait photography and realistic artwork. The genesis of her passion took root in the photography section at Barnes and Noble, where she found solace and inspiration, immersing herself in the works of visionaries like Gordon Parks.
Driven by her artistic inclination, Sanah naturally gravitated towards the convergence of photography and painting. Colors, patterns, and fabric designs became integral facets of her creative process, forming the bedrock and canvas for evolving portrait ideas.
Her initial and enduring subject became her family, with a particular focus on portraying her daughter's journey from childhood to adulthood. Over time, Sanah's artistic lens expanded to encompass the diverse narratives of close family members, realizing that their collective stories were threads intricately woven into the broader fabric of familial and cultural history.
Sanah's artistic practice has evolved over the years, embracing a multitude of mediums ranging from acrylic, oil, and spray paints to mixed media, paper collage, typography, assemblage art, LED lighting, film, video, and sound. These elements come together in what she terms "family altars"—immersive sanctuaries designed to prompt contemplation and reflection in the viewer.
These altars, symbolic spaces of ancestral remembrance and honor, embody Sanah's steadfast belief in the significance of every individual story. Text, presented subtly in poetry or boldly in handwritten quotes, serves as a narrative thread inviting viewers to delve into their own reservoirs of childhood memories.
Sanah's work is a poignant conversation with Black history, positioned as a portal inviting viewers to encounter not only the artist but also a transformative experience. Vibrant colors, harmonized with sensory elements like text, song, smell, sight, and vibration, serve a dual purpose—to evoke joy and uplift the soul.
In a deliberate departure from stereotypical depictions of African Americans in political or historical contexts, Sanah's artistic endeavor showcases an alternative narrative—one steeped in Black joy, empowerment, unity, and profound respect for elders. Through her paintings, she aspires to infuse hope and foster a sense of togetherness within communities.
Sanah's ongoing artistic odyssey is a testament to her commitment to exploring and portraying the multifaceted dimensions of the Black experience. Her work is not just a personal expression but also an invitation for viewers to engage, delve into shared stories, and depart with a renewed sense of joy and connection.
Sanah's artistic achievements include several awards and honors, such as the 2023 Infiniti Arts Collective winner and 1st place for the McKinney Black History Art Competition in February 2022. In 2020, she was selected for a solo show at the Bert Long Jr. Gallery at the Houston Museum of African American Culture.
A proud native of Queens, New York, Sanah Brown-Bowers currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, where she is pursuing her MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Art.
