Jasmine Brown

Jasmine Iona Brown was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and traveled to five continents before settling in greater Seattle. She earned her BFA at Howard University and her MA in African Studies from UCLA. Her graduate study in ancient history and cultures led her to incorporate antique artistic mediums, such as egg tempera, into her artwork. She is fascinated with the human face and the tragic narratives of marginalized people.

Jasmine received 2017 GAP Award funding for a continued series of egg tempera portraits of murdered people of color painted in the Byzantine icon style. She has selected a total of 10 more portrait subjects ranging from Michael Brown to the Charleston 9. She wants to call attention to these tragic killings in a way that honors the humanity of the victims while encouraging the viewers to grieve and find solutions to urban violence, police brutality and hate crimes.