Her grandmother saw a post on Instagram calling for artist submissions for an upcoming exhibition, so she encouraged Brooklyn Burroughs to send in some of her work. She wasn’t exactly nervous, just a little intimidated, but the organizers liked what they saw.
“I wanted to submit because I had never submitted artwork to an official gallery before,” she says. “I’ve only submitted art to my school’s yearly art exhibitions. I also wanted to test and see if my art would get in, despite me thinking it might’ve not made the cut.”
She did make the cut, though, and is among 12 artists whose work is on display for the “Black Perspective: A Celebration of Community, Family & Heritage” exhibition at the Brooks Theater Gallery in Oceanside through March 26. (Other featured artists include Laurie Batter, Quincy Brooks, Rhya Cawley, Jackie Diaz, Laurie Forgy, Phaya Gifford, Annie Elizabeth Kilgore, Domonique King, Elizabeth Man, Robert McPherson, Carole Quinn-Nylander, Bonnie Lee Roth, Eva Shaw, Gwen Small, and Krista Timberlake).
Burroughs, 16, is an art student at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts in Paradise Hills and took some time to talk about her pieces in the show, what inspires her in her artwork, and a very early career as an artist/entrepreneur creating coloring sheets for her classmates.
Q: Tell us about the pieces you have on display in this show?
A: I have two pieces in this exhibition. The first one is titled “Cosmic Interlude” and it’s a 16-by-24 inch piece created with oil paint. The style is inspired by surrealism and psychedelic art, inspiring the colors and some realism aspects of the subject’s face. It depicts what I call “Mother Universe” and represents the peace and love of the higher power, that I believe is the universe. The swirls in the earth represent the mix of energies, including peace and chaos, that is happening on earth. And, the earth is small compared to the universe; because of this, in the grand scheme of things, we are very small compared to the rest of existence.
The second piece is “Heart Chakra” and it’s an 11-by-14 inch piece made from oil and acrylic paint. The style is realism, with a patterned background—so, surrealism. It represents the balance between love and heartbreak, and how both are necessary to understand the totality of what love feels like.
Q: How did you go about conceptualizing each piece? And why did those feel like the best choices to demonstrate your skill and creativity, and also the theme of the exhibition?
A: I used completed works, as one was an AP art project I used from class, and another was one that I used was from a drawing and painting class in sophomore year. I submitted about 5 different artworks in the exhibition, and I chose them because they were my best works, in my opinion, as well as because most of the ones I submitted showcased Afrocentric women, which fits the theme of Black History Month.
Q: What came to mind for you when thinking about what to submit for a show like this, in terms of your understanding of a “black perspective”? What does that mean to you?
A: I think what came to mind was that, basically, any of my art is a reflection of a Black perspective because I’m a woman with Black heritage and my art represents my beliefs, knowledge, and interpretation of my worldview.
Q: What did you want to say through the pieces you selected, about the idea of a “black perspective”?
A: I wanted to show the colorful nature of my pieces, as well as showcase the focal point of them, which are usually Black women. This is important to me because the composition of my pieces depict people in a spiritual and ethereal way, which emphasizes the beauty and love that I wanted to reinforce toward people of color, especially Black people of color. I also wanted to ignite deeper thinking, within the viewers, of my pieces because there is a deeper meaning to all of them (which can be up to interpretation).
Q: In a news release from the organizers, you said that you weren’t as nervous about submitting your work because you’ve been participating in juried exhibitions and presenting your portfolio as a student at the San Diego School for the Creative and Performing Arts. What was your introduction to the area of visual arts?
A: To be honest, I’ve been drawn to visual art since I was about 4 years old. I always knew that I wanted to be an artist growing up; I’m not sure how I came to that conclusion, but it’s always something I’ve been passionate about. I used to love coloring, creating abstract art, drawing cartoons, etc., as a kid. So much so that I started a business in elementary because I was good at drawing cartoon characters, and kids told me to make coloring sheets for them. I would charge 25 cents for a coloring page outline and my teachers would print them for me. Going to a performing arts elementary school reinforced the love that I had for art, which eventually led me to SDSCPA.
Q: What is it about creating visual art that appeals to you, as opposed to, say, singing or playing a musical instrument, as a form of creative expression?
A: I have other artistic hobbies, such as dance and poetry, but nothing compares to my passion for art. I’d say the process in creating art is somewhat healing and increases my happiness significantly. It expresses my emotions in a vulnerable way that is also allowed to be hidden within the artwork I’m creating because it’s up to interpretation. There are certain poetry pieces I don’t feel comfortable sharing with the world, but with art I feel a sense of comfortability because, somehow, I feel excited when I’m sharing my art.
Q: What inspires you in your artwork?
A: My life experiences, knowledge I’ve accumulated over time, philosophy, spirituality, and people and things that I love.
Q: Who are some of your favorite visual artists whose work you admire?
A: I really enjoy Harmonica Rosales’ and Alex Grey’s work. Harmonica Rosales paints Renaissance paintings, but from the lens with Black people as the subjects; and Alex Grey paints psychedelic, trippy paintings. I love the detail that they’ve mastered, as well as their composition, blending, anatomy, and eye-catching abilities.
Q: How would you like to see yourself grow as an artist? Are there areas you’re focused on working on? If so, what are they and what is your approach to developing in those areas?
A: I’d like to improve with anatomy and focus on that, as well as start to paint and draw different things considering most of my pieces are focused on humans. Also, I aspire to get better at texture such as painting afro textured hair, trees, the ocean, etc. I should expand the horizons so that my art portfolio grows. Before college, I plan on experimenting more so that I can develop in those areas to become a better artist overall.
Q: What do you hope people get from seeing your work, and the other pieces, in the “Black Perspectives” exhibition?
A: I hope people are drawn to the colors and start to think about what the piece means. While I, the artist, know what my intentions were, it’s always interesting to see what others may think the deeper meaning behind it is. Therefore, I hope people look at it and learn something about themselves, or their own lives, through their particular interpretation.
Q: What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: I’d say the best advice I’ve received is to practice gratitude. This has been an integral part of my life for a while, even when life becomes tough. I have many things to be grateful for and practicing that daily is a reminder to think positively and acknowledge the blessings I already have.
Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?
A: One thing that usually surprises people is the fact that I listen to so many different genres of music in and outside of America, whether it’s Ethiopian jazz, Egyptian music, Bollywood classics, neo soul, ‘60s jazz, nu metal, etc.
Q: Please describe your ideal San Diego weekend.
A: My ideal weekend would probably be going to Ocean Beach with my boyfriend and/or my friends, heading down to Mr. Moto Pizza shop after swimming and shopping around, and staying out until 2 a.m. at In-N-Out, then returning home safe and sound.
