A.J. Brown

Artist Statement

A.J. Brown started to explore various arts in 1999, as a way to overcome personal fears. One of these was a nightmare she had as a child. This dream is a parable of her life: “I’m at the bottom of a well, looking up. I see the Sesame Street puppets with their mouths opening and closing. I have a feeling of no way out. I can’t yell for help, because no one understands my speech. This is such a feeling of helplessness!”

A.J. Brown had a brain injury during birth. This brain injury caused her to become Deaf and to have something that looks like Cerebral Palsy. As a result, she has difficulty speaking and using sign language coherently. However, she uses a portable communication device which speaks for her, when she types out her words in written English. She uses email and sign language interpreters to communicate as well.

A.J. is self-taught. She works with acrylics, pencil, charcoal, pen, pastels, felt pen, collage, scratch art, and her cat. She is a potter, writer, poet, actress, dancer, music composer, and musician. She has also created, written, produced, directed, and edited a video. She even wrote and illustrated a book, titled, My Voice: A Journey of Creativity, Courage and Hope, in 2004. This book contains her short stories, poetry and art. She sometimes mixes these media to create something new.

Each piece of her art is unique. She paints slowly and meticulously for one, and fast and impatient for another. Each has its own ‘personality’ — one will have vibrant, wild, lush colours, and another will have shy, withdrawn, tame, muted colours. Some are whimsical, and others are serious. Her work shows how she feels right at the moment of creation. To borrow a quote from her aunt, “A.J.’s art has a childlike naiveté — and not contrived. I think it was Picasso who said the most wondrous art is that done by children — bold, courageous and honest.”

With her arts and through her images, A.J. can be heard. She believes this is her way to freedom and spirituality. Most importantly, art is her way out of that well.

A.J. resides in West Vancouver, with her gorgeous cat, Rumbles.

Her art website is: http://www.handsandpurrs.ca. Her book website is: http://www.trafford.com/robots/03-1973.html.

Catalogue Statement

A.J. Brown had a brain injury during birth, which caused her to become Deaf and to have something that looks like Cerebral Palsy. A.J. is a self taught artist. She works with acrylics, pencil, charcoal, pen, pastels, felt pen, collage, scratch art, and her cat. She is also a potter, writer, poet, actress, dancer, music composer, video-maker, and musician. And sometimes she mixes these media to create something. Each piece of her art is unique. To borrow a quote from her aunt, A.J.’s art has a childlike naiveté - and not contrived. I think it was Picasso who said the most wondrous art is that done by children - bold, courageous and honest.