iona rozeal brown a3 -

"back in 1997, i read an article in Transitions written by Joe Wood. it was titled "The Yellow Negro," and subsequently introduced me to a group of Japanese youth called ganguro who darkened their skin and paid top dollar to have their hair permed into afros." - iona rozeal brown- http://www.spelman.edu/bush-hewlett/a3/artiststate.html

a3 blackface#21

In this exhibition, iona rozeal brown, one of the nation's most exciting artists, explores "afro-asiatic allegory" or "a3," a theme that she created after travelling to Japan in 2001. brown's work is informed by Ukiyo-e, the fashionable genre painting, also known as pictures of the floating world, that first appeared in 17th Century Japan in Edo (present day Tokyo). Appealing to a variety of buyers, the subjects of these woodblock prints range from historical topics to erotic themes. brown's work is also equally informed by hip-hop culture, blackface performance traditions and ganguro, the trend among Japanese high school girls of darkening one's skin.- Andrea D. Barnwell, Ph.D. Director,
Spelman CollegeVirtual Museum

Ganguro (ガングロ), literally Japanese "black-face"
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/fashion/ganguro.html

a3 #7

a3 blackface #62

a3 blackface #63

Ganguro as a pop culture trend raises questions about the youth in Japan and there need to assimilate or mimic the black pop culture in America. This "afro-asiatic allegory" is a unique blend of two unrelated cultures. Iona Rozeal Brown paintings captures this cultural emersion/blend.