BLCKGEEZER

BLCKGEEZER (b. 1997) Miya Jazmin Browne is a London born and based artist. They completed a Foundation in Fine Art at Kensington and Chelsea College (2015-2016). Graduated in 2020 on Fine Art Mixed Media BA Honours at University of Westminster with a First Class Honours (2016-2020). Awarded with the Paul Detsy Scholarship and enrolled on the MA PAINTING programme at the Royal College of Art (2020). Selected for Col Arts Bursary and materials prize (2021). Course extended due to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (2021- ongoing) awarded with Black Studentship (2021- 2022) and Sir Frank Bowling Scholarship (2022-2023). Selected for the Chadwell Award Shortlist (2023) and now currently in receipt of this award.

Browne has been involved in collaboration with the Royal College of Music for The Great Exhibition Road Festival (2021) which involved drawing from live classical music. She has also been in collaboration with Imperial College London, selected to be a part of the equality and diversity portrait prize commission (2021), where she embarked on conversations with Crystal Vincent, Imperial London Immunologist in her laboratory. Thus, the birth of "Fly in a landscape: Looking at the noise". Miya produced an art piece based on conversations with Dr Vincent, whose research involves looking at immunity in flies. This work means they spend a lot of time examining the insects under a microscope. Before commencing the portrait, Miya met with Dr Vincent in their lab to understand more about their work and what motivates them – and found many similarities between this and Miya’s own practice as an artist.

Despite ongoing Cancer treatments Browne has exhibited in group shows across London. Transforming Legacies at Black Cultural Archives (2022), an exhibition looking at Black British Art history curated by Pacheanne Anderson. Most recently she has been a part of MANIFOLD DELUXE (2023), Frieze Gallery, 9 Cork Street - showcasing the layers of Black female artists.

In the wake of a right breast mastectomy Browne birthed the term "Breastistentialism" - on how the underboob sweat gives nuance to perspective. Developing from this idea and upon the unease and agony of chemotherapy she branched a new speculation "Black Nausea" - on the unease and discomfort of black, a pillar in understanding the current body of work. Browne continues to speculate and investigate terminologies and theorises new ways of understanding her practice. Throughout her master’s degree she has dedicated herself to intensive practical research and experimentation in understanding black and white as material. She intends to push these theories and practice further with the eagerness to acquire a practiced based PHD with specialised and specific research in "Black Nausea". She aims to develop her master’s research further into a documentary based research thesis.

In my practice I approach painting through my obsession with the “non colour”. Restricted to an achromatic palette I compose textured marks to build visual conversations.

Sizing XL canvases I use the large surface area to authenticate the cocky and confident. I provoke the canvas and viewer, with ideas that already exist within the western patriarchal lens. The icon is both template and a point of reference. Hijacking is a way to reclaim what has been stolen and a way to enter the space.

The material is both object and subject. Chalk and charcoal go hand in hand as the fundamentals. Opposing forces, duality and binary are at the core. Pushing paint to its limits using only three “colours” black, white, grey. I stretch the goodness out of the singular and multiply. I use paint to resolve things violently and or peacefully. To abstract as verb or abstraction as adjective. To invert, copy, paste and delete.

Life and death are the inescapable echoes in the work. I use lived experience as both material and medium. Birth, Disease and Death are the indefinite narratives. My practice is an unfolding conversation with the viewer as well as with the self.

(MAD)ONNA > ZERO POINT – (2021 -2022) Acrylic, acrylic ink, oil stick, chalk, charcoal, sand and vanish on canvas 210cm x 250cm

I DIDN'T LOOSE A BREAST ON THIS COURSE FOR (NOTHING) – Black velvet 25cm x 25cm

Breastistentialism: Landscape portrait of the self – Acrylic, molding paste, oil, chalk, charcoal, pigment and varnish on canvas 200cm x 200cm

Breastistentialism: Black Nausea – Acrylic, chalk charcoal and oil paint of canvas 200cm x 200cm

Vesseled opening – acrylic, molding paste, ink, charcoal, clay, and oil paint on canvas 100cm x 100cm

Glutinous completion – Acrylic, molding paste, oil, clay, oil paint and varnish on canvas 100cm x 100cm

Dank velvet – Acrylic, molding paste, oil, black velvet on black canvas 50cm x 50cm

Soft opening – chalk and charcoal on black canvas 25cm x 25cm

Flattened vessel: Quenched fluidity – Acrylic, vinyl, molding paste, ink, coal, clay, oil and varnish on canvas 150cm x 150cm

Bounded (nothing) – Acrylic, chalk, charcoal and canvas on black velvet 25cm x 25cm

Black Nausea – Acrylic, chalk, charcoal, molding paste, sand, clay, coal, talcum powder, oil paint and varnish on canvas 300cm x 250cm (dyptic)

Ebonised milk – Acrylic, molding paste, ink, chalk, charcoal, talcum powder, clay, sand, hair, oil and varnish on canvas 250cm x 250cm

Install shot, (left) Ebonised Milk, (right) Black Nausea – (left) Acrylic, molding paste, ink, chalk, charcoal, talcum powder, clay, sand, hair, oil and varnish on canvas 250cm x 250cm (right) Acrylic, chalk, charcoal, molding paste, sand, clay, coal, talcum powder, oil paint and varnish on canvas 300cm x 250cm (dyptic)