TONL x Afrochella: A Woman's Perspective

At Afrochella, it was all about telling the story of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow through insulations, paintings, sculptures and design. Whether in Ghana or in the diaspora, Africans have been expressing themselves through art as early as 500 BC with scupltures that emulate the exaggerated features of black bodies. This sort of artistic style is all too familiar for visual artists like Briana L. Hill, M. ED. Briana was one of many vendors who took part in Afrochella 2019 and we were captivated by her live painting demonstrations. Briana was born and raised in Harlem, New York and took a liking to art and design so much that she decided to get her Masters degree in art and design education. With over 10 years of training and education in visual arts, Briana spends her time in the states as an art teacher. She is an advocate for sufficient art education in schooling systems that don’t historically have great art programs, if they exist at all.

Briana is particularly passionate about women and body perceptions which is why she decided to paint her live piece at Afrochella for the second year in a row of a naked woman titled “A Woman’s Perspective”. This piece aimed to dispel the misconception of nude figurative portraits and gave her the opportunity to experiment with flesh tone color exploration using acrylic paints. Inspired by Ghana, Briana is working hard to make moving there a reality soon.

Shop the TONL x Afrochella Collection below!