ON VIEW JULY 17 - SEPT 2, 2025

A N C E S T R Y

THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF

BRANDON THOMAS BROWN

Pinkwater Gallery is pleased to present an exhibition of the latest body of work by Brooklyn-based artist and photographer Brandon Thomas Brown (b 1988, US). In this deeply personal solo exhibition titled Ancestry, on view from July 17 through September 2, 2025, the artist weaves together original photography, collage, and symbolic elements to capture the nuances of identity.

Known for his emotionally rich portraiture and ritual-based art practice, Brown turns the lens inward in this new series, a photographic meditation on identity, spirit, and ancestry. Starring model-muses Catherine Aluoch Ojode, Shacar, and Dakaibo, the exhibition is an intimate narrative drawn from the artist’s own life. At its center is the mother: a powerful, guiding force who holds space for her son’s evolution. Tasked with caring for others while protecting her own, she becomes a bridge - between past and present, between body and spirit.

Brown's passion for photography was ignited by his grandfather, who documented his experiences during the Vietnam War and went on to create indelible images after his return home. These pictures later found their way to Brown and inspired him to pursue photography. Today he works as a successful commercial photographer and as an interdisciplinary artist exploring the myriad possibilities of photography, cyanotype, photo montage and collage.

And mark your calendars on July 19 for the special events surrounding the opening of this show during Upstate Art Weekend…

• ARTIST TALK with Brown and Tina Campt, Professor of Humanities at Princeton University, 5-6pm on Saturday July 19. Register here, space will be limited…

• OPENING RECEPTION 6-8pm on Saturday July 19, and light refreshments will be served… all are welcome!